"Hey loser, sitting all by yourself again!" an obnoxiously loud, female voice shouted at a young blond-haired, blue-eyed girl sitting by herself at a table in her school's cafeteria.

"Lemme guess, no one wants to be seen with the family-less freak!" the voice shouted again, and the young blond did her best to ignore the hurtful verbal jabs, as her hand tightened into a small fist.

Unfortunately when a paper plate full of spaghetti was thrown at her, and the sauce began dripping down her face and onto her clothes, Alyssa Searrs couldn't bear the ridicule and cruel acts of her schoolmates anymore. She quickly rose to her feet, desperately swallowing the sob that wanted to break free from her throat; because she was not going to give her tormentors the satisfaction of seeing her cry. She then quickly turned on her heel, and ran as quickly as she could from the school's cafeteria; the sound of laughter following her all the way out.

~o~o~o~

Alyssa sat on her bed alone in her room, staring out her dorm room's only window, down into the school's courtyard. She had been lucky to get a room to herself this school year, as she almost always had to share a room with someone else before. Having a room to herself allowed her the privacy to cry as she cleaned herself up, from the latest bullying attack from the 'rich girls' of the school. She just didn't understand why the girls in this all-girls academy focused so much on making her life miserable.

It wasn't her fault that she didn't know who her parents were. It wasn't her fault that she wasn't 'rich' like those snotty girls were; and that she was only allowed to remain in the school, because of a mysterious benefactor who paid her tuition every year. She wished that she did know all the answers to these things, because then maybe her life...wouldn't be so hard and lonely...

Alyssa sighed to herself as she dried out her hair with a towel, after taking a quick shower to wash the dried spaghetti from her skin and hair.

Letting out another deep sad sigh, Alyssa made her way over to the loveseat set up beneath her small window. She laid her head down on the windowsill, and gazed out at the sun setting over the horizon with her mind filled with one thought...and one thought only...

Why was she all alone in this world...

~o~o~o~

"Alright Shizuru, are you ready to go?" Natsuki asked as she turned slightly on her motorcycle, and looked over her shoulder at the tawny-haired young woman stepping through the front entrance of the inn.

"Yes Natsuki, I'm as ready as I'll ever be," Shizuru replied, as she tugged the strap of the duffel bag she was carrying over her head, and settled onto the back of the motorcycle behind Natsuki.

Natsuki flashed a slightly-crooked grin at her chestnut-haired passenger, before she helped Shizuru pull her helmet down over her head.

"Don't worry so much, Shizuru. Alyssa will be happy to meet you. Promise. Now, let's go get your sister before that bastard Reito does," Natsuki said with a determined grin, before pulling her own helmet down over her head. She then revved the bike's engine, and sped the bike off in the direction of Alyssa's boarding school.

It was time to step things up into high gear.

~o~o~o~

"Boss, boss! They've left the inn! Should I begin following them now?" one of Reito's lackeys exclaimed excitedly from behind the steering wheel of a black car, which was hidden behind a stand of trees off the main road, near their quarry's inn.

Reito nodded his head once, before settling himself down comfortably in the back seat of the car. A sick, twisted smile crossed his lips, as his eyes zeroed in on the long mane of beautiful, honey-chestnut hair flowing from the helmet of the bike's backseat rider.

"Shizuru..." Reito muttered softly, as his loins tightened and his inner, carnal desires ignited when he thought of making Shizuru his again.

"The game has truly begun now Shizuru, my pet. I'm coming for you...and you will be mine again," Reito murmured to himself, as his hard-on got even harder when he envisioned all the things he could do with 'his' Shizuru once again.

You will be mine again soon...

~o~o~o~

It was a brand-new day, and Alyssa was determined to make it through with absolutely no bullying incidents.

The people in this school can be such bitches, Alyssa thought to herself as she packed her schoolbag for the day, and then slung it over her shoulder. However just as she was about to leave her room, an announcement over the PA system stopped her in her tracks.

"Would Alyssa Searrs please report to the Principal's office immediately. I repeat, Alyssa Sears report to the Principal's office immediately."

Alyssa wondered for a few moments before she left her room, just what was so important that she had to get to the Principal's office immediately.

One of those snot-nosed, rich bitches better not have told the Principal some new lie, to try to get me in trouble again, Alyssa thought angrily to herself as she began making her way to the Principal's office. She hurried down the empty hallways, as the rest of her schoolmates were already in class, and she arrived at Principal's office in just a few minutes. She quickly opened the door to the office and stepped into the room. The Vice-Principal was sitting behind a desk in the front office, and when she saw Alyssa she waved her hand towards the door leading to the Principal's room.

"They're waiting for you inside, dear. Don't keep them waiting," the Vice-Principal said in a kind voice, and Alyssa quickly made her way over to the door, while wondering to herself, who's they?

Alyssa quickly found out who they were when she pushed open the Principal's room door, and saw two attractive young women standing before the Principal's desk. One was tall and dark, wearing dark leather pants, a black jacket, and a white top beneath the jacket. She had piercing brilliant-green eyes and long, raven-dark hair that flowed down her back.

The other was fair and light with honey-coloured locks that tumbled down her back, and eyes of a colour Alyssa believe she'd only ever dreamed of before. There was something about this woman that drew Alyssa's full attention, and when the chestnut-haired woman saw that most of Alyssa's attention was focused on her, a small shy smile tugged up the corners of her lips.

Alyssa found herself unconsciously returning the smile, before she turned curious blue eyes towards her Principal. The woman slowly rose to her feet, walked over to Alyssa, and gently rested her hands on her shoulders.

"Alyssa dear, I know that you've had a bit of a rough time here at our school, and that you've always wanted to know who it was that paid for your tuition year after year. Well dear, I'm pleased to let you know that your generous benefactor has finally decided to come forward. Alyssa...I'd like you to meet Shizuru Fujino...your benefactor...and biological sister."

Alyssa's world stopped.

It utterly and completely stopped.

No one said a word for the next few heart-stopping seconds, while Alyssa's eyes widened to the size of small saucers, and she began finding it a bit hard to breath.

For Shizuru's part, she could only stand frozen as she waited to see what her sister's reaction to the news would be. Tears fought to flow freely down her face, as she took in the sight of the beautiful young woman her sister had grown up to be.

She's so beautiful...just like Mama, Shizuru thought tearfully to herself.

Alyssa swallowed a lump down her suddenly dry throat, as she tried desperately to process this earth-shaking news the Principal had just dropped on her.

A sister...my sister...I actually have living relatives...what...how...why didn't she come for me before now!

A torrent of emotions and feelings began coursing through Alyssa; the primary ones at first being hurt and anger.

The chestnut-haired woman must have seen what Alyssa was feeling on her face, because her scarlet-red eyes suddenly dipped down, and a look of guilt and sadness overtook her features. The dark-haired young woman put a hand on her shoulder in a silent show of support and comfort, and Alyssa realized with a start that she wanted that. Someone in this world who could offer her instant comfort without even asking. She had just been crying in her room the night before after all; asking why was it that she was so alone in this world. And here now, almost like an answer to her heart's deepest desire, was someone who was related to her by blood. Someone who was actually family to her.

Someone who could give her the comfort and love she'd always craved for in her life.

A soft sniffle slipped passed her lips, and the chestnut-haired woman's crimson eyes flashed back up, to lock onto Alyssa's tear-blurred blue eyes. A soft, tremulous smile spread across the woman's lips, and she took a small hesitant step forward; her arms raised slightly in what Alyssa realized was a welcome invitation to a hug.

A hug...from someone who looked like they actually cared about her...

A sob broke free from Alyssa's throat, as she pushed herself forward and into the slightly-trembling, waiting arms of the woman before her.

Alyssa and Shizuru began sobbing together as their arms clung desperately to one another. Neither noticed when Natsuki and the Principal moved silently out of the room, and quietly closed the door behind them. The two fair-haired young women could only focus on each other, as years of pent-up feelings and emotions on both their parts, flowed out of them in heartfelt sobs. They both sank down to their knees, still clutching tightly to one another; never wanting to let go now that they'd finally found each other.

For Shizuru, she'd finally reunited with the missing piece of herself, that she'd been forced to let go of when she was a little girl.

For Alyssa, she'd finally found the family she'd always craved for and wanted desperately with all of her heart.

And somewhere outside, soaring high in the clear blue sky above, was a bright yellow canary; singing loudly and happily at the top of its lungs, for it was another bright beautiful day.

~To be continued~

AN - Hope you all enjoyed reading this chapter, as much as I enjoyed writing it! =D

Please review~ Your reviews help fuel my muse, who is a very voracious eater~ :3

~xoxoxo~