Oh snap, I did it again. I created a rip in the fabric of space and time. I'm being tele-back and forth between ti-and I can't stop. Please en-and review!


As the group rounded the corner, Misao, and Tsukasa let out audible gasps. Even the more dignified twins, had trouble lifting their mouths up off the floor. Konata's house was huge. It had to be at least 4 stories. And Konata told them that there was a basement, so that made 5. Konata led them to the front door. It was a wide enough, and tall enough to let them all in at once. Konata wandered as the others took in the house. She didn't go straight to her room, but strayed to the living room. She looked up at the pictures that were all over the place. She saw many baby pictures. She saw her father swinging her through the air, and what looked like her 2 year old self, was clapping, and giggling loudly, as her father made airplane noises. She saw another pictures, where her probably one-and-a-half-year-old self was being tickled in her mother's arms. The baby looked happy, but was squirming. Apparently Konata had been ticklish as a baby. She looked at all the framed memories, allowing her mind to imagine all of the scenes as they may have happened. Her eyes were caught by a certain picture. One that showed a large number of people. Her parents high school graduation ceremony. Her parents had told her about it. All of their friends, family, and any well wishers all in one place. She looked it over, and recognized a few people, that had come over before. She recognized two people that made her heart stop. Ms. Kuroi, and Ankoku, with her father's arm around her. She felt sick. Ankoku had known her father, and hadn't told her. And Ms. Kuroi was the same.

"Ms. Kuroi?" She said quietly.

"Yes, Konata?" She came up to Konata, and looked in the picture. She gasped, realizing what Konata wanted to ask.

"Ms. Kuroi, is that you in the picture?" Konata's face could not be read. It was like a blank canvas, witing for someone to paint emotions on her face.

"Yes, Konata, but I can explain…"

"You knew my Mommy, and Daddy?" Konata still had that blank look on her face.

"Yes, but let me explain. Please don't be mad." Ms. Kuroi said hopefully.

"I'm not angry." Konata said quietly. "But, do you know anyone who might have killed him?"

Ms. Kuroi froze. She knew Konata was talking about her father. She just didn't want to say anything.

"No I don't. I'm sorry Konata."

"It's okay." And she left, her expression blanks, walking up to her room to pack her clothes, and possessions.

"Ankoku! Where are you?!"

Konata had gone back to her mind. Needing answers, she called Ankoku.

"Ankoku! I need to talk to you! NOW!"

"Yes, Kona-chan?" Ankoku had come out of the mist. She regarded Konata, with a confused expression.

"Drop the chan, Ankoku. Now tell me. Why did you never told me you knew my Daddy?" Konata asked, trembling with anger, and resentment.

Ankoku looked down. She knew this would have come up eventually, but that didn't make her any less determined to avoid it.

"Okay Konata, I'll tell you. You're father and I had, well liked each other, for a while before we graduated. But neither of us were brave enough to admit it. I loved him passionately. And he, I believe, returned those feelings. We never dated, but he told me his feelings on the day we graduated. We had been best friends for a long time, since childhood. After high school, we lost contact. I tried my hardest to find him, but I couldn't. I wandered around the Japan, looking for universities that he had talked about applying for.

I finally got a lead that he gone to a college in America. I stayed in Japan for years, scrounging up enough money to pursue your father to, but by the time I got enough money, and had gotten to America, your father had flown back to Japan. I was too late, and didn't have money. I lived as an outsider, not being able to speak English, I soon resorted to eating out of garbage cans.

I had been on the streets for more than a year, when I met a man. He spoke fluent Japanese. I asked him if he could help me. He agreed on one condition. I must travel with him, and do what he tells me. He was nice, and assured me that if he were to ever do anything that upset me too much, he would let me go. I agreed to his terms, and he granted me anything I wished. I wished to see your father, even if it was just once, I wanted to see him, have a chance to tell him how I feel. He agreed, and sealed me inside, of your mother. Telling me that when they had a child, I would be inside you, and that one day, you would be able to free me.

Now here I am. I wasn't able to see him. I was trapped within you, getting to know you, but not being able to see what he looked like. You had visited me many times in your babyhood. You were asleep, and crying the first time I met you. I acted as a mother, because you reminded me so much of him. I loved you as if you were my own child. But I never let you know, that I never knew your father. If you knew, you would ask me questions. Questions that I wasn't allowed to answer. And I was afraid that you would hate me, because I couldn't tell you anything.

I never wanted to keep it a secret, but I had to. I could not betray the trust of the man who saved me."

As she finished, she broke into sobs. Konata knew that she was telling the truth. She hugged Ankoku, as Ankoku had hugged her, all those times when she needed it. Konata knew that Ankoku must have suffered.

"I'm sorry Ankoku, I never knew. Is there anything I can do?" Konata wanted to help. She was tired of not being able to help. She had had to sit by and let everyone help her. But it was her turn. Starting with the girl who had always been there for her, even as a baby.

"As I said, only you can free me." Ankoku told Konata, quietly.

"How? How can I free you, I want to help."

"I can only be freed, if you kill your closest friend." Ankoku said quietly.

"Is there any other way?" Konata couldn't kill her friends.

"You would have to kill yourself." Konata's heart sank as Ankoku spoke something that Konata thought was weird. "One life for another. Only a soul can control a body, but only if body if freed of its original."

Konata cried and could only say, "I'll try to figure out another way, Ankoku, I promise, but I can't kill anybody."

"Goodbye, Konata."

"Bye, bye." And with that Konata came back to reality.

Konata resumed packing. After she was sure that she hadn't left anything important behind, she said goodbye to her room.

She went downstairs, where she heard people talking. As she came into the living room, the other immediately shut their mouths. They all turned to her, and waited for her to sit down.

"So, Konata, are you ready?"

"Yeah, I am." Konata said. The time had come. Her new family.

"Alright. Just so you know, Misao's parents agreed to accept you, if you want to live with them."

"Okay." Konata sat once again, thinking hard of the goods and bads of each family. After about ten minutes, she stopped thinking, and sighed.

"Well, which is it already?" Misao said impatiently.

"Hey, is that any way to treat your new sister?" Konata said teasingly.

"M-my n-n-new s-sister? Does that mean you're…?" She let the question hang and Konata responded with grin, and a nod of her head. Misao and Kireina let out a scream and ran to hug their new sister. Konata Kusakabe. Atarashi smiled, happy that she had found a new family.

"Guess I don't get to have another sister after all. Oh well, as long as she's happy." He went over to congratulate the girls on their new family members. He knew that he and Konata would be together eventually. He could wait. He could wait for as long as he needed.


Whew, it stopped. Alright so I finally got to the exciting decision. I hope you enjoyed, and I hope that you'll review. There may be one more chapter as five-year-olds, but I might just make the time skip to High School. See you next time.