Clannad

The Lost Girl

Note: Hello hello! As promised, here's another chapter coming up fresh and hot without a 6 month wait like last time! xD So, please read, review, and enjoy!

Just a quick note: This isn't really a story spoiler, since you're about to read it right now, but she isn't asking for a WEDDING ring, like in the dream, she's just asking for a ring. Don't get the wrong idea and think that 16-year-olds are going to get engaged or something. :

Chapter Nine

Return

"I heard a story once about these things called 'Orbs of Happiness'." Risha said, staring out the hospital room window. It had been three days since Ushio had awoken, but she's staying in the hospital for a while longer to get her strength back. I made sure to visit her after school every day, and, to my surprise, so did Risha.

"Orbs of Happiness?" I asked. Risha nodded. "They say that when you make someone happy, you'll see an orb of light floating off into the sky." she said. I raised an eyebrow and chuckled. "I didn't know you were the religious type." She glared at me for a moment, before sighing and looking back out the window. "I'm just trying to make conversation..It's nothing I believe in." she explained.

I gazed at Risha for a few moments, her eyes seemingly in a trance, watching the rain clatter onto the window. A loud crackle of thunder shot above, and Risha flinched. I had to cover my mouth to stop myself from laughing, but she noticed, and stood and yelled at me, "W-What's so funny?" As she began to blush, I couldn't stop myself from busting out laughing.

Risha rolled up her sleeve, and was obviously about to inflict some kind of pain upon me, but she stopped when Ushio suddenly said, "Tokoi?" I looked past Risha to see Ushio looking up at me from her bed. I quickly sat beside the bed and gave her a slight smile. "S-Sorry, did we wake you up?" I asked. Ushio shook her head.

"I was having a good dream," she said, looking down at her hands, "And I woke up at the end of it." I raised an eyebrow, and Ushio looked at me and smiled. "You were there...and you gave me a ring." she said, lifting her left hand, and I could almost imagine a ring settled on her finger...

It took me a few moments to realize what the dream was. I heard Risha chuckling behind me, and my face flushed. "W-What? You dreamt that...that..." I tried to say, and Ushio nodded, seemingly unembarrassed by the awkward dream. It took a few moments before my face returned to normal, but Risha continue to laugh.

"Tokoi...when I get out of the hospital, will you buy me a ring?" Ushio asked. Risha suddenly stopped laughing, and I raised an eyebrow. I was trying to see if she was joking, but her face showed nothing but seriousness. I sighed and rubbed the back of my head, thinking for a few moments.

"Sure?" I said, gently placing my hand over hers, "Why not?" She gave me her warm smile, and I gave one back. I could feel Risha's gaze tearing through the back of my head. I could just imagine that she was thinking, "I'll kill him if he doesn't keep his promise with her." My smile widened as I began to feel happiness and comfort...Something that I hadn't felt in what seemed like a long, long time...

Over the next few days, the storming had stopped, and the sun began to show once again. Ushio had begun to get back onto a routine sleeping schedule, and had more energy after waking up. Dr. Chaan agreed to letting her and I go out for walks now that the storming was over with, so that her leg muscles could get back into shape.

Today, we were taking a walk down a road that Ushio says her father took her to a lot when she was younger. Her arm was locked with mine as we walked, so that I could give her some support."I love walking down this road," she said, looking at the rows of cherry blossoms on either side of us, "It's really beautiful in the Spring."

I glanced over at Ushio, who's eyes were gleaming with happiness. The brightness of the cherry blossom leaves blowing behind her made Ushio seem to glow even more. "Yeah...it is beautiful." I said, and she looked at me and smiled.

Another week passed, and Ushio was finally allowed to return to school. That first day that she returned, I made sure that she was in for a surprise.

"Where are we going?" she asked, following me along the hallway where all of the club-rooms were. She must have forgotten about coming here, I thought with a sigh. "You'll see." I told her. At the end of the hall, we came to a room with 'Theater Club' on the door.

Ushio stared blankly at it for a few moments. "T-Tokoi..?" she said. I smiled at her and motioned for her to go in. She hesitantly opened the door, and stepped in. Ushio gasped, and her face suddenly lit up. "Welcome back, Ushio..." I told her, setting a hand on her shoulder.

A couple of days before, Risha and Nyou had both agreed to help me restore the Theater Club. Risha is too tough for theater, and Nyou is too shy...But they took it onto themselves to help out a friend. So, after lots of cleaning and re-organizing, the club-room was finally presentable.

The only thing that had given us trouble was finding a teacher to represent us. After asking around, we finally found that the only available teacher was the counselor, Mr. Agato. After agreeing to represent us, I went to the student council for permission to re-start the club, with Ushio as the club's head.

"Surprised?" I said, and Ushio slowly nodded. I led her over to the chalkboard at the front of the room, which had the names of all the members sprawled out on it:

Theater Club Head: Okazaki Ushio

Members: Konoda Tokoi, Toshino Risha, Fujibayashi Nyou, Terin Irisa

I watched Ushio read the names, and I could see the surprise on her face as she read the last name. "I-Irisa...?" she said. The door to the room opened suddenly, and, just as it was planned, the other three members walked in. Risha, Nyou...And, after them, Irisa.

It was the first time I had actually seen Ushio's old friend, with her long, wavy purple hair and a gentle expression. I see why her and Ushio were friends, I thought. "Ushio..." she said with a smile, and Ushio suddenly ran up to her old friend and hugged her, tears starting to form in her eyes.

"I made sure that all of our friends were here." I said, and Ushio looked at me and smiled...

And a cough suddenly came from behind Risha and Nyou. Turning, everyone looked at the person who was standing in the doorway. "Don't forget me!" the person said, and my eyes widened as I realized who it was.

"Y-Yurino?"

To be continued...

Next Chapter – Promise

This will be the end of Part One. My plan is to have Part One and Part two, each with 10 chapters in them. Kind of like Clannad and Clannad:After Story.

Note: Yurino makes his return! Finally! XO Hope you liked this chapter!

And, just in case you forgot, Irisa was mentioned in one of the first chapters, so this isn't really a new character being introduced. And, as you may notice later on, Irisa is a kind of replacement for Kotomi.