Chapter 11

"Hey, what's with your expressions? I won't die that easily," said Marui cheerfully. "So where's Lenali," no one said anything. "Did she run away because she freaked out over my confession?" Marui sighed. "I thought she'd so drunk she wouldn't remember it but oh well…So how is she?"

"Marui, don't you remember?" asked Yukimura.

"I remember falling, and then I saw Lenali's face and nothing after that why?" asked Marui. Everyone looked down, Kirihara was already crying and Yukimura's eyes were tearing. "Hey, you guys, I'm alive!"

"Lenali, she…" began Yukimura. "She wrapped her arms around you and absorbed most of the impact from the fall, because it wasn't very high neither of you suffered any major damage but…" he trailed off unable to continue.

"She hit her head against a rock," finished Sanada. "Her heart is still beating because of life support…"

"…They say she may never open her eyes again," Yukimura was crying, Sanada placed an arm around his shoulder.

"That can't be," said Marui. "No, that can't be, why would she? She didn't, she couldn't have…"

"Marui," said Kuwahara. "That's what happened…she…"

"No, she's alive, she breathing, she's walking, she's alive," said Marui his eyes widened.

"Marui, she's…"

"No, she's right there," Marui pointed at the doorway, there stood a woman, her face, her black hair, her brown eyes, they were Lenali's.

"Marui!" shouted Niou. "Stop it…"

"But, she's right there…" Sanada turned around, his eyes widened as well, was he hallucinating?

"Lenali?" he asked, his voice filled with doubt.

"What?" Everyone turned around, she really was standing there, a kind smile on her face, and relief passed though the tennis club regulars, all but one of them.

"It's been a while Anita," said Yukimura.

"It has Nii-sama," replied the girl.

* * *

"Everyone, this is Yukimura Anita," introduced Yukimura. "She's Lenali's and mine cousin."

"Hello," said Anita smiling kindly. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Here to visit Lenali?" asked Yukimura, she nodded, the smile faded.

"Nee-sama was in the room next door and I heard your voice so I came here," she explained slightly embarrassed. "Hello," she said again.

'Hi's and 'Hello's echoed in reply.

* * *

As Marui stayed in hospital to recover the regulars all visited him regularly, Anita; who was very close to Lenali; would visit him as well when she went to visit Lenali, peeling him an apple or cutting up an Orange for him.

"Marui, you know she's not-" began Yagyuu two weeks or so after the fall.

"I know she's not Lenali," said Marui. "Anita has a kind smile that is easily like but she's not Lenali. Lenali had a hot temper and sharp tongue but she had a way to make you fall on your knees before her…she had that sort of charisma." Marui smiled sadly.

The word 'had' had a chilling effect on them all.

"Lenali, she had the making of a Queen, didn't she?" said Yagyuu. Marui shook his head.

"An Empress, a Queen has it easy, the king can marry only one so she lives her life at peace and with ease. An Emperor had many concubines; the Empress is in danger of losing everything and anything at any given moment. The Empress fights, in her own way she fights…just like Lenali," said Marui.

"Empress…" pondered Yukimura. "Your right, she is more suited to such a title."

* * *

Lenali laid with her eyes closed on the soft bed of the hospital, wired plugged into her body, keeping her heart beating and her body live. Marui, walking with the help of a cane, entered her room, the window and curtains were open, letting the light and breeze in, she had enough of confined spaces and darkness.

"Hey Lenali," he said to her gently taking her hand in his. "The doctors said that talking to you would help so, here I am." He chuckled lightly. "I miss you, your foul temper and sharp tongue, the way you bitch about life and your sadistic sense of humour. Yet you look so peaceful right now," he said down on the bed and gently stroked her cheek.

"You're asleep, safe from the world, away from Sanada and Yukimura, you look so at ease." He kissed her hand. "Yet, why does my chest hurt so much?" his eyes were tearing. "I want to hear you laugh, to see you smile, to comfort your tears…I…I don't want you safe and at peace…I feel like a horrible person for wishing that but… I want you to open your eyes…"

His tears flowed from his eyes and down his cheeks, falling on Lenali's hands. He loved her, with all his heart.

"Hey, you don't need to give me an answer but," he leaned forward and whispered in her ear. "Let's go on a date together, just the two of us…you've never been to an amusement park or even a public cinema right?" He recalled a conversation the two had long ago. "So…it's a promise, just the two of us okay?"

He kissed her forehead.

* * *

"What!? You've never been to an amusement park before!? Okay, next time you sneak out I'm taking you to the world's best amusement park! Luna Park!" declared a cheerful and mischief male voice, the owner's blue eyes twinkling.

"Baaaka! That's all the way in Australia, Melbourne," replied a female voice. "You never think before you speak do you Yuu?"

"Oh is it? Oh yeah…I went there last year, I forgot, damn! We'll have to settle for the one in Tokyo then." Yet it never happened, that day he took her hand to take her there, he died…

The memory was still fresh in her mind despite the years that had passed since then…yet at Rikkai; another soul said the exact same thing to her.

"No way!? Never?" she shook her head. "Never ever been to an Amusement park? We're going! I'm taking you to one," another boy declared, all seriousness in his eyes even his pink hair was filled with determination.

"Let's go on a date together, just the two of us…you've never been to an amusement park or even a public cinema right... So…it's a promise, just the two of us okay?"

Lenali gasped for air as she opened her eyes, she looked around, where was she? Needles and wires stuck to her body.

"It's so sad isn't it?" said a voice outside her door.

"I know, two falling from the roof of the building, one brain dead …it must be horrible for the one who survived…"

"What school did this happen at?"

"If I remember correctly…Rikkaidai Fuzoku…"Lenali's heart sank.

Marui…

* * *

"What's going on?" asked Yukimura as he entered Lenali's room, the heart monitor no longer beeped. Wires on the floor after being pulled out and the bed…empty. Yukimura dropped the bouquet of flowers he'd brought with him, where was she? Did she? Was she…dead?