Phew, after days of dry spells, today has turned out well. I managed to make a productive morning, completeing this chapter, finishing another and starting one more. I'm gonna try and write more before I fly off (into the sunset) cause I know once I start classes in Uni, I'm gonna be a spotty updater. Anywho, they're finally altogether! YAHOO! for this writer anyway. (rolls eyes)

xSTICKYxNOTEx: A loyal reader and reviewer, no truer friend could be found. I love your stories, if not just for the happy endings, then the twists that bring us to the destination. Hurry and update more. Let's get to the Lavendar Love Letters already!

kurasmachik: Maybe I'll add an actual cat in later chapters. D

MissaSolemnis: Missa-chan, I'm gonna have to work you in later, but look out for it.

Overhead, an unexpected skein of geese honked their way south. It was nearly too late in autumn to see geese. But Innay didn't know that. And honestly, she couldn't

(give a rat's ass)

care less. She felt

(bone weary)

tired. Exhausted. Spent. Drained. Like she had been in another vehicle accident. She wanted to just lie down on the ticklish grass, under the setting sun and let the cold breeze freeze her to death.

"So this is how autumn feels like. I knew I'd like it." It suited how she felt on the inside very well, dry, cold, hard. Winter was probably too wet. Sighing

(and again)

she abruptly flopped onto the ground. She was lying next to the graveled drive way, no longer caring about what was happening anymore. There'd be plenty of time for wondering and searching later on. Her eyelids felt

(like 10 pound weights were sewn into each one)

heavy and she didn't fight the urge as her eyeballs rolled upwards and her eyelids slid over them.

Innay slept.

While Sunako stared. And stared and stared and stared. Earlier she had felt a strange feeling, like a pressure pushing at her. Almost like how wind pushes against you, but most of it would go around you. The man in front of her seemed to waver for a moment, then it looked like she had been looking into a reflection of the man on water as he rippled outwards.

Her stomach felt like it had fallen 6 feet, but her body couldn't catch up. The ripples had widened out and the image of the man was so distorted and dream-like that she couldn't tell if she had ever seen a man in the first place. Then, the pressure on her increased and it looked like the watery image was coming towards her. Bracing for the impact, she shut her eyes and held her free hand up to shield her face. She felt a chill wash over her and then all seemed calm again. All the excitement had happened in perfectly eerie silence. No pop in her ear, no rush of water, no whistle of the wind. Sunako held her protective position, stunned.

And that was when the grip on her hand had let go. Looking down at the mysterious girl, she found that she had fallen onto the ground and now lay motionless in a fetal position. Worried, Sunako leaned over her and checked for a pulse on her jugular. It was strong and steady. So she was just, sleeping.

Out on the cold hard ground.

In front of her Aunty's mansion.

In a measly hospital Johnny.

Even if the girl wasn't sick yet, she would be soon. Sunako sat back on her haunches and watched the girl sleep. What had just happened? They had been on the street just a few seconds ago, staring at that scary man, then suddenly, WHOOSH! they were outside of Sunako's home.

Studying the girl, she noticed that the lunulas of both of her hands had turned blood red. Hurriedly picking up the girl's hands, she thought that perhaps the girl had somehow wounded herself, but the blood seemed to contain itself in the lunulas only. Thing were getting more and more curious. But it actually looked quite nice. Shrugging, Sunako hefted the girl over her shoulder and started for the mansion's front door. The girl let out an indignant squeak at the movement, but otherwise, remained slumbering.

Shifting the weight to distribute it evenly, Sunako climbed the steps slowly, in favor of the blustery winds. The front door was thrown open and Yuki and Ranmaru spilled out. Stopping in front of her, the first thing that came out of Yuki was:

"She killed her!"

And shrank behind an obviously just as terrified Ranmaru.

Sunako brushed past them with her well-perfected 'I-don't-care-about-what-you-just-said-or-did' face and brought the snoozing individual to the guest room next to hers.¹

Laying the girl gently on top of the covers, Sunako couldn't help but let a little maternal instinct override her morbid desire to cut the girl open and study her like the old lady had in the story of the Golden Goose. She smoothed the similarly raven-black hair back from the sleeping individual's face, her fingertips brushing her forehead like a butterflies wings flit and disturbs the air ever so slightly. Her forehead was beaded with cold sweat and Sunako used her jacket sleeve to blot the moisture away. Checking her hands again, the lunulas had faded to a dark pink, but you could tell that it wasn't natural.

Her skin was smooth and cold to the touch and felt altogether very real. Suanko still couldn't believe what had happened. How had they gone from a street at least 5 blocks away from the hospital, in the opposite direction, to home? And how did this stranger know where she lived? Once again, the feeling that Sunako knew this girl came back to her. Maybe they knew each other a long time ago. Perhaps she had just forgotten. She just couldn't grasp it.

Watching her, Sunako felt the intense urge to take a nap as well. Yawning into the back of her hand, she shifted the guest so as to tuck her under the covers and decided she'd take a nap after all. Laying herself down in her own bed, Sunako paused to consider what had happened earlier. Watching that miraculous landing, her levitation, then the stranger and finally, the most curious of happenings, 'transporting' from there to here. Drifting off, Sunako could have sworn that she had felt a distant fear for the stranger just like that girl had…

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

Takenaga found Kyohei exactly where he stood when he saw the girl levitate off the ground. Stunned and with his mouth open. Kind of like how Yuki found Kyohei after Sunako had appeared in his bed butt naked.²

Surely the girl hadn't stripped down to her skivvies (if she wore any) in front of him. Takenaga didn't see anyone in sight. "Was that Sunako earlier?" He asked, not really expecting an answer.

He shifted the pack and adjusted the straps again. He just couldn't get comfortable with it on his back. And having it in contact with his skin was giving him the creeps. He wouldn't have admitted it out loud earlier, but now, he was willing to say that this backpack gave him the feeling that he was being watched. Maybe it had to do with the red eye logo sewn onto the top flap. To say that this bag was something different was an understatement. Takenaga had never seen such a bag, made of black material that felt like canvas, but seemed light and cool to the touch. Numerous zips and straps and pockets adorned the pack, otherwise it was devoid of any other designs.

Besides the red eye. The open, ever watchful, bleeding red eye.³

Takenaga shuddered in hopes to shimmy the image of that hateful eye out of his confused mind. To his surprise, Kyohei gripped his arm. Tightly. "She… she… flew. She flew." Kyohei's face was pallid and his eyes wild.

"SHE FLEW!" He screamed to no one in particular. Takenaga held Kyohei's wrist, swinging the young man to face him, fearing that Kyohei was finally going crazy. But Kyohei was smiling ear to ear. "She flew man! She flew!" He exclaimed, eyes finally focusing on Takenaga.

Sunako flew? Takenaga knew that she wasn't completely human sometimes, but how was that aerodynamically possible? She still had the same human structure as him and Kyohei. He imagined her sprouting bat-like wings (that would suit her wouldn't it?) and taking off into the night sky. Speaking of night sky, it HAD gotten dark quickly and the wind was starting to grow stronger. Where were Sunako and the patient? They certainly weren't in sight and he hadn't taken that long to negotiate the packed lift and busy halls of the hospital.

Kyohei had gone back to staring in the direction of the town, gaping in awe, replaying a scene only his inner mind theatre could see. Takenaga didn't fear for him anymore, afterall, he seemed particularly euphoric. Shaking his head, he pulled the awe-struck teen along behind him as he headed home. Hefting the pack again, he wondered if this was all worth the free rent promised for living with Sunako in the vain attempt to transform her into a lady.

¹Author's Honesty Note: I must admit that there is suppose to be a part here about Sunako preparing Innay for bed, like removing jackets and shoes, then I realized: the damn girl is in a hospital Johnny and nothing else. Bow down to my leaky brain. (I wrote, like, 2 paragraphs of it before I realized my mistake. Sigh.)

²Author's Honesty Note: I nearly wrote – butt nekid – JT you rock my world.

³Author's Note: Author wishes she could insert a picture here, but well, if you wanna see a penciled version of the eye, PM me. (By the way, this is in honor of the Crimson King.)

I forgot to mention, lunulas are the pale crescent shape at the base of your fingernails. Not the tips, the other base. Next chapter (which is already written) will reveal the stranger. Ah.. I'm so proud of that character.