Rider: Konichiwa Minasan! (stares at the empty audience) Wow, guess I have been gone a real long time.

Wraiths: Yeah, only like half a year idiot.

Star: Where the hell were you?

Rider: Work, work, work, then work some more. Then I transferred schools which was pulling teeth. Moving, more teeth lost. But at least summer was fun.

Star: You're such a loser.

Rider: Bite me princess. (turns to a few readers who showed up) Anyway, sorry for the massive delay everyone. I've said it before, but I'll try again, I will try to be more consistent in updates. No promises though, class and work are eating a lot of time

Wraiths: You doing mail?

Rider: It's been so long I don't remember which ones haven't been addressed, so not this time. (turns back to readers) Catch you at the end people. Enjoy the story.

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Disclaimer: I do not own Love Hina in any way, shape, form, context, yada yada yada. Does anyone even read this? I'm mean, really?

Change of Hearts

Chapter Twelve: Strange Alliances

"So let me get this straight." The young man leaned against the wall, his face hidden in the shadows. A short distance away a group of young men rested against their motorcycles, patiently waiting for him. "You're going to pay me how much to take out these kids for you?"

The figure in the black trench coat shook his head. "No, I want them beaten...broken. Not dead." He smiled, the only truly noticeable trait beneath his hood. "Not yet any way." He reached out with a gloved hand and produced a photograph, seemingly from thin air. "This is the only one you are to engage. Do not touch the rest." He paused in consideration. "You may find this useful as well." He handed over a manila envelope which he pulled from his jacket sleeve.

The younger man took the photo and smiled sadistically. "This one? I would have done this one free." He crushed the photo and dropped it to the ground before attempting to open the envelope.

"Leave that until the target is in your possession."

The younger man raised an eyebrow, but shrugged and placed the small package in his bag. "I have some unfinished business with some people in that crew." He reached into the bag by his feet and removed a blazer. "There will be damage outside the target. Count on it."

The hidden man paused, but eventually nodded. "That is acceptable. However..." He threw a newspaper, again seeming to come from nowhere, at the younger man. "Do not over step your boundaries. Our last associate became greedy. He met a most unfortunate end."

The young man caught the paper and looked to an article on the slain mob boss. "I see. That was you guys." He smiled as he donned first his blazer followed by his heavy, leather riding jacket. "Well, don't worry. The Yamainu might not have the same resources as the Yakuza, but we take care of our own work much more cleanly." He pushed off the wall where he rested. "We'll take care of your little problem."

"There can be no connection between you and I." The trench coat rustled as the other man turned. "If you succeed, the remainder of your money will be transferred, and you may take the credit for your gang." He smiled a bit. "But should you fail..." Though his eyes couldn't be seen, he nodded at the paper in the other man's hand. "There will be equally swift repayment for that as well."

The younger man shrugged and tossed the newspaper on the ground unconcerned. "We won't fail." He walked away towards his waiting motorcycle. "And don't make threats you can't back up." He lifted his leg over the motorcycle and sat, confidently observing the man in the trench coat. "We're not weaklings like the Yakuza. If you try to come for us, we'll take you out first. " He opened the throttle and gunned his engine. "Make the first payment by the time I get out of class today."

The man in the trench coat smiled as he watched the motorcycle gang ride off after their leader. He lifted his head slightly and laughed openly. He then lowered his head again. "Follow them. When it's done, kill them all." He turned and walked off in the opposite direction as two shadows moved in the direction the bikers had taken.

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Aijou rose from her futon and grabbed some cloths from her closet. "It's got to be a crime to make school start so early." She glanced at the calendar on her wall. "Three weeks until Christmas?" She paused. "I wonder what I should get for the others." She walked over to her desk and pulled out an envelope from her drawer. Upon opening the envelope she saw the stack of yen within it. "I didn't save as much as I thought..." She whispered sadly. "I'll have to get a holiday job or something." She returned her money to the drawer and headed towards the bath. She opened the door and found Mai already in the changing room. "Good morning."

Mai turned and seemed to get a bit nervous. "Oh, good morning Aijou. I didn't know any one else was up this early."

Aijou blinked a bit in surprise. "Aren't the others training?"

Mai nodded. "I meant that no one would be here."

Aijou paused as the younger girl fidgeted under her gaze. Ever since the first day she arrived, Aijou could only remember one time that Mai bathed with the others. Aijou also remembered how upset Mai had gotten because of Erika. "How come you always try to bathe alone?"

Mai shifted from foot to foot uncomfortably. "It just happens to work out that way."

Aijou frowned, knowing that Mai was hiding something. "You took off in terror the day when Erika knocked your towel off. What's wrong?" She leaned in as Mai mumbled a response. "Say again?"

"It's because I look like a boy!" Mai yelled at her.

Aijou blinked, completely lost. "What?"

Mai looked at the ground. Her voice was low and sad. "I don't look anything like you or the other girls. I look like a boy. The only time I look like a girl is..." Mai gasped and covered her mouth.

Aijou tried to hold back, but failed and began to laugh. "That's what you're so nervous about?"

Mai pouted and looked away. "You didn't have to laugh."

Aijou continued to laugh. "Sorry, sorry." She walked over and patted Mai on the head. "You're still young kid. Don't worry so much."

Mai turned again and looked between Aijou's face and Aijou's chest. Mai sighed, defeated. "Easy for you to say."

Aijou laughed again and leaned in a bit closer to Mai. "If you promise not to tell, I'll let you in on a little secret."

Mai nodded slowly.

"These only came around about a year ago." Aijou whispered.

Mai blinked and pulled back a little. "Really?"

Aijou nodded. "Give it a little time." She opened the door from the changing room to the bath. "Don't be in such a rush to grow up either. Life's more fun that way."

Mai entered the bath, still clutching her towel tight about her body. "I guess..."

Aijou thought silently for a moment. "Hey? What do you say we go shopping after school today? Get some new outfits for Christmas?" She grinned slightly. "Maybe find something a new for your holiday wardrobe?"

Mai's eyes brightened a bit. "Like a girl's day out?" She smiled. "I've never been invited to something like that."

Aijou smiled. "So?"

Mai nodded her head vigorously. "Hai."

Aijou twiddled her fingers a moment. "And maybe...you could help me pick out some gifts? I'm kind of on a budget this year."

Mai nodded. "Sure, we Maehara's are pretty good bargain hunters." She brought her hand to her lower lip as she thought of something. "Oh, that reminds me..."

Aijou perked her head up a bit. "Nani?"

Mai waved her hands in a panic. "It's nothing! Really!" She moved away toward the sink to wash. She held up the soap toward Aijou. "Would you like me to wash your back?"

"That'd be great. Thank you." Aijou sat on the stool and faced the mirror. "So what kind of gifts to you think I can get for everyone?"

Mai began to lather Aijou's back as she thought. "Definitely something edible for Erika. For Toshi, ano, maybe something with sports since she's so athletic. A new kendo sword perhaps?"

Aijou frowned. "Kendo equipment is kind of pricey."

Mai nodded. "Right, sorry." She paused a moment. "What would...Kamali like?"

Aijou looked back over her shoulder. "Kam?" She grinned a bit. "Just get him a rock."

"A rock!" Mai exclaimed. "That's not very nice a thing to say!"

"I'm kidding! I'm kidding!" Aijou laughed. She glanced back again at Mai's expression. "You're serious?"

"I would like to get him something nice." Mai admitted, a small blush reddening her pale cheeks.

Aijou thought for a moment. "He always has that antiquated CD player of his with him, so a new CD or two would probably make him happy."

"CD's?" Mai brought a hand to her chin in thought. "Kamali likes music?" She picked up a bucket to rinse the soap off Aijou's back. "Perhaps..."

Aijou looked back again. "What are you scheming?"

Mai's face began to turn red for the second time in just a few minutes. "I'm not scheming anything!"

Aijou grinned. "You're hiding something Mai-chan! What are you planning?"

Mai blushed deeper. "N-nothing!" She looked away. "I'm just thinking about my shopping list."

Aijou smiled knowingly. "I'll bet." She shrugged her shoulders and stood. "Come on. I'll wash your back now."

Mai looked away, unconsciously gripping at her bath towel. "You don't have too..."

"Oh get over here." Aijou grabbed Mai and sat her down on the bath stool. "You've got to get over this shyness issue." She smiled as Mai nodded. She stared at Mai's back as she towel fell. "Mai-chan what happened here?"

The young girl looked over her shoulder. "Nani?"

"Where did you get this scar?" Aijou demanded.

Mai reached back and ran her hand over the faded, but visible, mark on her back. "That's not a scar, it's just a birthmark."

"I know for a fact that you didn't have that before you left the Hinata-sou for America." Aijou replied. "Who did this to you?"

Mai blinked. "Aijou, I'm not lying. It's a birthmark."

The older girl remained unconvinced, but Mai seemed so sure of her self that Aijou couldn't really push the issue. "All right, if you say so." She scrubbed Mai's back for a moment in silence before she felt the need to break the tension. "Anyway, we have food for Erika, sports gear for Toshi, what about Hana?"

"Hana-onee-chan will be easy to shop for." Mai smiled. "Since she comes from such a large family, they don't always get a lot of presents. So, the fact that you want to get her something at all will mean more to her than the actual gift."

"But I don't want to get her just anything." Aijou protested.

Mai shook her head. "I didn't mean just get anything, but something heartfelt will mean more than something expensive."

Aijou thought for a moment. "Hana's been taking a lot of pictures lately."

Mai's face lit up in excitement. "The pictures are stored on Erika's computers. I think I have a good idea for her gift!" She looked back over her shoulder. "What about Inari?"

Aijou frowned. "I have no idea. She's so much more secretive than when we were kids." She shrugged her shoulders. "I'll look around town when we go out, maybe I'll get inspired." She continued to scrub Mai's back. "What about your brother?"

"Onii-chan?" Mai rested her head in her hands in thought. "Maybe...no. Perhaps...no. Oh! You could get him a...no, that won't work either."

"Is he really that difficult to shop for?" Aijou asked.

Mai shook her head. "It's not that, but, you heard what he said. 'My life forces me to travel light.'"

Aijou remembered the scene with Shinichi blocking the stairway. "Actually, that gives me an idea." She lifted the bucket and rinsed the soap from Mai's back. "All done."

Mai stood and wrapped herself in her towel. "What kind of idea?"

Aijou smiled. "Now you'll just have to wait and see."

Mai pouted out her lower lip ever so slightly. "Meanie." She turned back for the changing room. "I'm going to go start breakfast."

Aijou nodded and sank into the warm water of the bath. "I'll be in in a moment." She closed her eyes and rested her head against one of the many stones, attempting to gain a few more minutes of relaxation before she was forced to start her day. She sprang to attention as an image passed through her mind. "That scar! It's lighter, but it's identical otherwise to the mark on Shinichi's back!" She looked over to the changing room and she could see Mai's silhouette behind the rice paper door. Her eyes narrowed. "Something doesn't add up here."

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Toshi walked slowly up the mountain path toward where she knew Shinichi would be training. She also knew that Kam would not be joining them today. She had heard him up studying late last night for a test. She fully intended to take advantage of the time to speak with Shinichi alone. She reached the empty training area, but was not really surprised to find herself alone. She scanned the area and easily located her target.

Shinichi sat on a bluff a bit higher up, his attention focused on the mountains in the distance as the sun's rays slowly spread across the land. He watched the light as it crept its way into the darkness. He smiled at the scene. He pushed himself off of the out cropping rock he sat on and fell down toward the training area where Toshi was waiting.

Toshi watched as Shinichi vanished into the shadows that the light had not yet expelled. A few moments later she was able to see Shinichi's eyes as they reflected the light that reached toward him, but nothing else.

Shinichi stepped further into the light. "Sorry to keep you waiting."

Toshi shook her head. "You're right on time. You always watch the sunrise from the mountain." She gently tossed the extra bokken to Shinichi.

"I guess I do, don't I?" Shinichi caught the practice weapon and tested its weight once before tossing it aside. "You know I don't use a sword, even in practice."

Toshi sighed. "Yes, you tell me that every morning. Though, I can't understand why." She lifted her own sword in preparation to begin. "There is something I wanted to ask you about…" She lifted her bokken just in time to block Shinichi's fist as he suddenly charged on her position.

"That doesn't sound good at all." Shinichi rolled to the left as Toshi weapon bit hard into the ground he was just on. "Can't this wait until later?"

"I do not think so." She pulled her sword from the dirt and spun into another attack. "I was reading the reports from the warehouse incident..."

"I'd rather just forget that night if it's all the same to you." Shinichi's fist raced toward Toshi and connected with her sword. He stood there locked in a contest of strength against her. "It wasn't exactly my finest moment. You know?"

Toshi nodded and shifted her weight to better hold her ground. "True, but I don't think you want to forget what happened that night." She pushed forward and gained some ground against Shinichi. "I think you're trying to remember it to know how to prevent it from happening ever again." She pushed again and broke through Shinichi's guard to slash at his chest.

Shinichi flipped back out of the attack range and planted himself into a defensive kenpo stance. "You talk too much." He charged her again, but dropped at the last second to sweep kick her legs.

Toshi saw the move coming and easily leapt over him. "So you say, but that's not the topic I was concerned about." She rebounded off the branches above her and waited about half-way up the trees. "I want to talk about the conversation that you and Mishima had in his office." She stopped as the saw Shinichi tense up. "I see you remember. Inari's statement said you talked, but it was in a language she didn't understand." She rested her sword against her shoulder. "What happened there?"

Shinichi leapt up and followed the path that Toshi had taken, except rather than land softly on the branch, he attacked it. The branch snapped like dry kindling and the two fighters raced further up the trees until they stopped at the top branches. "It's in the past Toshi. Let it die."

Toshi was surprised by the tone of Shinichi's voice. He may not have wanted to talk about the warehouse, but he truly wanted to forget about the conversation at the office. "You really aren't going to tell me, are you?"

Shinichi shook his head. "Not if I can avoid it. Just have to take the fifth and all." He ran across the treetops, using the springboard like effects of the bending branches to propel himself at Toshi even faster than he had on the ground.

The young detective managed to move back enough to counter the initial attack, but still caught a grazing blow to her shoulder from Shinichi's chop. Her mind ran through the various statutes that she knew of from her days at the academy. Yet, anything related to fives didn't have any apparent connection to the conversation at hand. Then the idea came to her. "You lived most of your life in America right?"

"Amongst other places." The young boy paused to let Toshi stretch out her shoulder. He realized that he was loosing control of the fight, of himself. This was only for practice. He didn't want Toshi to get hurt.

Toshi nodded as she rubbed her arm. "From what Aunt Motoko told me, you spent a year or two in San Francisco." She watched as Shinichi shifted on the branch uncomfortably and reached out her sense toward the boy. "Right about the time the Yakuza made a big move into the area…" She cried out and stumbled a bit as Shinichi roughly slapped away her ki senses with his own.

"Please don't do that." Shinichi looked away from Toshi, out toward the rising sun.

A million possibilities flashed through Toshi's mind as Shinichi waited for her to make the next move. She was on to something, she knew she was. "But is it worth hurting Shinichi for?" She wondered silently.

"Do you know why I come up to watch the sunrise everyday?"

Toshi snapped from her train of thought and focused on the young boy. She shook her head, puzzled as to what had brought this up.

"Did you know that light travels in a straight line? And takes almost seven minutes to reach us here on Earth?" Shinichi asked. "By the time we see the 'sunrise' it's already been up for few minutes. Those seven minutes…are the darkest part of the day. The light from the sun hasn't reached us yet, and the light reflected from the moon has been completely used up." He sighed and looked over at the sun. "For seven long, lonely minutes, the world sits in complete darkness."

"But what does that..."?

"The warehouse, and my time in San Fran, those are part of my seven minutes." Shinichi ignored Toshi's unfinished question. He shook his head. "I have to get ready for school."

"Hold on!" Toshi extended a hand to Shinichi, a futile attempt to stop him, as he dropped down into the trees. She barely felt the brief flare of ki and then could sense nothing. "Shadow walk..." She sighed, knowing there was no way she would be able to find him now. She looked over at the sun, now fully over the mountains. "Seven minutes...it seems like such a short time but..." Sheathing her sword she slowly descended from her perch in the tree and walked back to the house.

She made her way slowly to her room and swapped out her red and white training clothes for her sweat suit set. Her mind was still on Shinichi's words as she left the room moved down the hall. She knocked on the door and went inside without waiting for an answer. "Erika? Just what kind of databases can you hack into with these systems of yours?"

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The day seemed to drag on forever as Kam moved from class to class. He just couldn't seem to focus. "Not that I really have to." He muttered under his breath. "Even the teachers are more concerned with the upcoming holidays than the actual lessons." He glanced around the room as casually as possible. Most of his fellow classmates were busy secretly exchanging letters with one another in attempts to find Christmas and New Years dates. He turned away, not quite as casually this time, and returned his gaze to the text the teacher was reading.

It made no sense to him. He was going to be in a house full of beautiful girls for the holidays, a few of whom he had already managed to kiss, yet he was jealous of his friends.

He shifted in his seat a bit and pulled his sketch book from beneath his text book just enough that he could draw while pretending to pay attention to class. His fingers seemed to take on a mind of there own as the lines began to make recognizable features on the page. His head tilted ever so slightly as he began to get into his task. Before he knew it, the class was over and his friends were getting ready to leave. Closing the notebook and placing it in his bag, he joined the herd of students that moved toward their lockers. As he removed his sneakers, a note fell out from within. "Nani?"

"They decided to go shopping?" Kam sighed as he scanned through the note, but then paused. "That works in my favor really." Grabbing his jacket and book bag, he exited the school.

"Mai, Aijou, and Hana all went shopping together." He ran down his checklist aloud. "Shin said he had a study group after class, not that I believe him with the way he's been acting lately, so that means that Inari will probably be with him too. Erika has…" Kam paused, he really had no idea where Erika was, but she had said she would be busy with something. He saw Toshi go into Erika's room this morning, but that could be totally unrelated, so he shrugged it off. "And Toshi's at home with Aunt Sarah and Amaya-san."

He smiled as he boarded the bus. "Which means if I'm fast I can get all my shopping done and get the presents wrapped and hidden before anyone comes home?" A few stops later he came to the local mall, and sweat dropped. "Now...If only I knew what it was I was going to buy for everyone..." As Kam entered the mall proper, he failed to hear and see the dozen or so motorcycles that came up behind him.

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"So? Who's next?" Inari looked around the mall. "Mai-chan? Or Toshi?"

Shinichi hoisted the bags over his shoulder. "This is your show remember? Pick one."

Inari shook her head. "You are such an ass."

Shinichi rolled his eyes but declined to reply.

Inari leaned partway over the railing and looked for her next gift idea. "Oh! Over there!" She moved off toward the escalator, pausing only to look back over her shoulder as Shinichi slowly caught up. She knew he could move faster than that, she had seen the weights he trained with after all, but she understood that he had to look the image of "the unhappy guy forced to hold all the bags" or he'd lose face in front of the other kids shopping the mall. He was the one doing her the favor; Inari could give him a little slack. "Besides," She thought silently. "He was the one to insist that he carry everything."

Shinichi joined her on the descending staircase and gave her a mock annoyed glare. "Do you have to run off like that?"

"Absolutely." Inari replied without missing a beat. "Just to piss you off." She smirked as Shinichi rolled his eyes for the millionth time today. "Ok, Mai loves to cook right?"

"Does the word 'duh' come to mind?"

Inari ignored the sarcasm that suffused Shinichi's voice. "I figure Mai knows enough about cooking that any cookbook I give her is going to be worth nothing to her." She waited as Shinichi confirmed her statement with a nod. "I also know that everyone in the Urashima family is a terrible cook."

"Not sure what that has to do with Mai's gift, but go on." Shinichi looked around the mall distractedly.

Inari didn't seem to notice Shinichi's wandering attention. "Have you seen the pots and pans that Mai uses to cook?"

"I cook too you know." Shinichi reminded her with a frown.

"Yeah, but you're not as good." Inari laughed as the tan boy glared at her. "So, instead of a useless cookbook, I'll get her a new set of pots and pans." She grinned at her idea. "Great idea right?"

Shinichi faced Inari and walked backwards off the back of the escalator. "It's ok."

Inari face faulted. "Ok!" She growled and chased after Shinichi who had kept walking. "What's wrong with this gift? You've crapped on every idea I've come up with today!"

"I have not!" Shinichi replied defensively. "You asked for my help with this remember? You keep running for gifts that are really expensive, but not as valuable."

Inari made a face. "Nani?"

Shinichi sighed. "Taking care of someone means more than having enough money. Sound familiar?"

Inari shook her head. "Nope. Should it?"

This time Shinichi face faulted. "Never mind. My point is that if you bought all that expensive cookware, Mai might use them once and then never again."

"What? Why?" Inari demanded confused.

Shinichi sighed again. "Those pans were my mom's when we still lived at the Hinata-sou. Even if they are battle scarred and shabby looking, they are more important to Mai."

Inari frowned. "You guys are weird with the 'emotional attachment' thing."

Shinichi smiled and shrugged his shoulders. "What can I say?"

"Hey!" Inari spun suddenly and blocked Shinichi's path. "I got another idea! What if I was to, I don't know; get the old pans repaired or recoated or whatever?"

"Now you're thinking like a Maehara." Shinichi nodded. "Mai would love something like that." He paused as he saw Inari smile brightly, brighter than he'd seen since his fuzzy memories of childhood. "She is kind of cute..." He shook his head as the stray, silent thought passed through his brain. "Stop that!"

Inari saw the shake of Shinichi's head. "Something wrong?"

Shinichi stared at Inari like a deer caught in the headlights of a speeding truck. "No! Nothing!" He looked around nervously for a moment. "Duck!"

Inari had no choice but to comply as Shinichi placed his hand on her head and forced her to crouch behind a small mall kiosk. When he allowed her to stand a few minutes later, she grabbed him by the shirt. "What the hell!"

Shinichi looked away and scratched his upper lip as Inari dangled off the ground by his collar. "Hey look. Kendo equipment."

Inari turned. "That's perfect for Toshi." She shook her head. "Hey! Don't change the subject!" She blinked as she looked at the bag of gifts in her hand. She looked around and found Shinichi a few stores away looking through the display windows. "When did he get over there without me noticing?" Slinging the bag over her shoulder she walked towards the younger boy. "And you gripe when I run off?"

Shinichi turned with a small smile. "Gomen nasai." He picked up the bags that were on the ground. "Shall we move on?"

Inari blinked at the smile on Shinichi's face. It was...unnatural. "You all right?"

"Yeah, fine." Shinichi moved down the hallway. "Just thought I saw a gift for someone, but it doesn't really work anymore."

Inari raised an eyebrow as she watched the boy walk away. She cast one last glance at the kimono shop before going to catch up with her companion.

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Aijou was standing in the main corridor of the mall, surrounded by various kiosks. "I could have sworn..."

Mai looked at her friend in confusion. "Is something wrong Aijou?"

"You do seem a bit confused Ai-chan." Hana walked over and placed the back of her hand against Aijou's forehead. "That's good, no fever."

Aijou pushed Hana's hand away from her face. "Of course I don't have a fever!" She continued down the corridor. "I thought I heard the voice of our resident idiot."

"Onii-chan?" Mai looked around and shook her head. "He said he had study group today..."

"He's said a lot of things lately that haven't been entirely accurate." Aijou regretted the words as soon as they past her lips. "I'm sorry Mai-chan..."

Mai shook her head. "It's ok Aijou. I'm kind of mad at him too."

Aijou blinked. "The ever forgiving Mai Maehara is mad at her brother."

"Just a very little..." Mai looked down at the ground for a moment, but then looked back up. "Where'd Hana-onee-chan go?"

Hana lowered her camera as her two friends slowly walked back to where she had stopped. "I'm sorry but..." She pointed to the rafters by the skylight. "It was just too cute a picture to pass up."

Mai looked up to where Hana pointed and immediately found the small nest, and the tiny baby birds inside. "Aww, look how small they are. How do you think they got in here?"

Aijou shrugged. "Who knows?" She was about to move on when she saw something out of the corner of her eye. She looked up again and brushed her blackened hair from her eyes. "Did you guys see that?"

Hana blinked and cocked her head to the side ever so slightly. "See what?"

"I thought I saw something move." Aijou squinted her eyes at the general area the nest was in. "It was like..." She shook her head. "Must be studying too hard. My eyes are getting as bad as my parent's." Shrugging it off as a trick of the eye, she continued walking. "Ok, what's next?"

Mai opened her small note book and turned to her list. "Erika's gifts are purchased. Toshi's gifts are purchased. Inari's done too." She looked between the two older girls. "I got my gifts for you two already."

Aijou blinked. "When was that? You've been with us the whole time."

Mai simply giggled. "I'm not telling."

Hana smiled. "Definitely related to Shinichi-kun."

Aijou nodded. "Well, I can't shop for you two with you both right here so..."

"Let's do..." Mai stopped in mid-sentence. "Kamali."

Aijou stuck out her tongue. "I thought I told you, just get him a rock."

"Nice to know I can always count on my family, Onee-san."

Aijou groaned as she heard Kam's voice, and the stress on the onee-san. She knew he only called her that when he got real ticked off. Sheepishly, she turned around. "Hey there ototo." She laughed nervously at the unhappy look on Kam's face. "I was just kidding..."

Kam made a face and nodded in disbelief. "Yeah, I'll bet."

Hana smiled at the newcomer to their group. "What brings you here Kamali-kun?"

"Same as you guys." He raised his arms and showed off the many bags he was holding. "Who knew that Shinichi's training would have real life benefits as well?"

Aijou gapped at the amount of stuff her brother was carrying. "How much did you buy?" Her eyes narrowed. "And how did you afford it all?"

Kam met his sister's stare with no fear. "I used to tutor after-school remember? And unlike you, I save my money rather than blow it all on fake hair color."

"That's it! Get over here!" Aijou lunged and hooked her thumbs into Kam's cheeks, stretching his mouth wide open. "Take that you smart talking little bak...kyaaa!"

Kam dropped his bags and returned his sister's favor by hooking her cheeks as well. "Ret oh hove I ace!"

"Ru erst! Raka!" Aijou countered.

Mai blushed and looked down at the floor. "Auu..."

"Ara ara..."

Mai looked up and saw something completely unexpected. "Auuu...I think this just got worse..."

Hana was frowning. She walked briskly over to the two siblings and placed a hand on each head, much like a basketball player might palm the ball. "That is quite enough!" With a push of her hands, the two children separated and let out startled yelps as they landed on their behinds.

Kam rubbed at his cheeks. "Stretched my face all funny..." He mumbled.

"Your face was already funny looking." Aijou shot back as she massaged her own cheeks. "And you!" She pointed an accusing finger at Hana. "What the hell kind of grip strength do you have? That hurt!"

Hana looked down at Aijou with an angry look that would have made her Aunt Naru proud. "What were you two thinking?" She turned the look on Kam now. "Honestly, brother and sister making a scene in public like that." She shook her head in disappointment as Kam and Aijou both shrank back from her words. She waited a moment, but nothing happened. "Well? Apologize to each other."

Kam looked up at Hana in disbelief. "You've got to be kidding me..." The look in her eyes told him that she wasn't. With a defeated sigh, he turned to his sister. "Gomen nasai Aijou."

"Yeah, sure." Aijou replied in a hushed tone. "I'm sorry too." Her eyes flitted to Hana, and nearly face faulted as she saw that the usual smile was back in place.

Hana smiled. "That's much better! Don't you think so?"

Kam and Aijou both face faulted.

Kam was the first to recover as he heard Mai giggling. He looked up and saw that she was trying not to laugh, but was loosing ground quickly. He wasn't sure why, but that made him smile. "I never believed Mom about the stories she would tell about the bowling trips with Aunt Mutsumi." He stood and began to gather his parcels. "Now I'm not so sure."

"Yeah, me too." Aijou got to her feet a bit more slowly. "I had forgotten..." Aijou remembered silently to herself. "Hana's the oldest in her family. But, unlike Kam and I, she has many brothers and sisters. Plus, her mom's got the daycare." She watched as Kam, Mai, and Hana talked, not really listening to what they were saying. "She must fall into the peacekeeper role all the time, but... she seemed really upset to see us fight. Even if we were only goofing around."

"Are you guys done shopping for the day?" Kam asked suddenly.

Hana shook her head. "We still have to get our gifts for you and Shinichi-kun."

Kam grinned. "Gifts for me? How lucky!"

"Don't get a fat head baka." Aijou warned.

"Just for that, you're not invited." Kam stuck his tongue out at Aijou.

"Invited?" The dark haired teen turned to the other girls. "To what?"

Mai blushed slightly. "We were talking about the new okashi shop around the corner from the mall." Her blush deepened a bit more and she looked down at the ground. "I mentioned that I wanted to stop in there to see what they might have for the holidays..." She trailed off as her face continued to darken.

"Kamali-kun was gracious enough to offer to treat us." Hana finished as she saw Mai's predicament.

Aijou looked at her brother with a small hint of surprise. "Seriously? You're buying?"

Kam scoffed. "Not for you after that 'rock' comment."

"Oh come on!" Aijou pleaded. "I said I was kidding!"

Kam seemed to think it over for a minute before nodding. "You better get me a real nice gift."

Aijou raised a fist in triumph. "Yes! Okashi here we come!"

The four children made their way thorough the mall and out the exit. They passed a flower shop where the owner was watering his plants. Though they easily sidestepped the excess runoff that spilled into the street, they were too involved in there own conversations to notice the motorcycles that tracked their way through the puddles.

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"Thanks for stopping by!" Amaya called to her customers as they left the Hinata Café. "Please come again!" She smiled as the customers turned and waved goodbye.

Sarah came out from the back room wearing Haruka's old apron. "You've definitely taken a liking to this."

Amaya smiled and shrugged. "Beats my last job, and definitely the one before that."

Sarah pulled out a pack of cigarettes from her pocket. "Yeah, I guess so."

Amaya watched as Sarah pulled a cigarette from the pack with her lips and lit it with her free hand all in one deft motion. "Didn't you used to harp on Haruka for smoking those things?"

The blonde took a deep drag and sighed. "Shut up."

The handicapped woman smiled and began to clear the table used by the last customers. "It's almost funny in a way."

Sarah looked up at the ceiling. "What is?"

"The way history repeats itself over and over again." Amaya gathered the dishes together on the table. "There's never really a break in the pattern of our lives."

Sarah took another deep puff of her cancer stick and let it out slowly. "You say funny. I say it's sad." She brought her gaze down from the ceiling tiles to where Amaya sat looking at her. "All that means...is that we keep making the same mistakes over again."

Amaya frowned as she placed the dirty dishware in her lap. "Maybe it's not a mater of mistakes though Sarah. Maybe we're doing things right over and over."

Sarah snorted and ground her cigarette into the ashtray with only half consumed. "Right, I really like having to fight some crazy fanatics every few years to keep sharp." She paused a moment. "No offense."

"None taken."

Sarah turned to head back into the kitchen to prepare for the dinner rush. "You need any help with those?"

Amaya shook her head. "I've got them." No sooner had Sarah left and Amaya's wheelchair started to roll when an unbalanced glass half filled with water crashed to the ground. "Damn it..." Amaya muttered.

Placing the other dishes back on the table, she reached down to recover the scattered shards of glass. She pulled her hand back as she cut her finger on some glass just enough to draw blood. She watched as a single drop of blood connected with the water, and a chill ran down her spine.

"Sarah!"

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"Hey To-to!" Erika called from high within her tree.

Toshi looked up from the computer at Erika's desk. "What did you just call me?"

Erika hung from the branch by her knees and held her laptop in her hands. "What? You don't like the nickname I made for you?"

Toshi shook her head. "No. No, I don't. Reminds me of a really cheese move my roommate at the academy used to watch non-stop." She stretched her hands over her head. "You find anything?"

"Maybe." She swung up onto the branch and made her way to the trunk to climb down. She set the portable computer down in Toshi's lap. "Nothing that would stand up in court, but..." She pointed to the photo of an old newspaper article.

"I'll be damned..." Toshi whispered. She jerked in her chair as alarm klaxons began to sound though the biosphere that was Erika's room. "What now?"

Erika typed a few commands into her computer. "Movement from the café." She pulled up a live video feed.

Both girls watched as Sarah and Amaya climbed into Sarah's giant, blue, SUV and speed off.

"She drives like her father..." Toshi mumbled. "Hey? How are we still getting a video feed?"

Erika opened her desk drawer and pulled out a small construct. "I call them the Mecha-InukiR's!"

"The R's being for..."Toshi prodded.

"Reconnaissance of course." Erika grinned mischievously. "Wanna follow them?"

Toshi nodded. "They did leave rather quickly."

Erika sped through a few more commands and the trees parted to reveal a new, larger version of the Mecha-Inuki. "Our chariot awaits! Yosh!"

Toshi tried to fight against Erika's pull, but soon found herself in the cockpit. "But I need my..." She stopped as the real Inuki leapt into the cockpit with Toshi's katana in her mouth.

Both girls looked at each other more than a bit confused. At the same instant, they seemed to recall the same memory, and looks of horror entered their eyes.

"Step on it." Toshi ordered.

Erika nodded and slammed her foot against the pedal. With a howl the metal pooch burst through the window in Erika's room, taking most of the molding with it, and sprinted down the street.

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The soda bottle seemed to fall in slow motion as Shinichi turned his gaze toward the far side of the Hinata District Shopping Mall. His mouth went dry and he could suddenly taste pennies at the back of his throat. He could hear the mental switch click his brain from logic and reason over to instinct.

Inari saw the abrupt change in Shinichi's face from playful banter to complete and total terror. "Shin..." She found her self suddenly overloaded as Shinichi forced his packages into Inari's hands. "What's...?" She jumped back in fear herself as dark ki flared all around Shinichi, ki more powerful than she had ever felt him expend.

"Zensokuryoku no Kage!"

Inari stared as a Shinichi vanished from her sight and senses. She finally realized that she was holding her breath and forced herself to let it out a moment later. "That wasn't Shadow Walk." She murmured. "What was that?"

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The rider of the lead motorcycle glanced into his rearview mirror. Disappearing rapidly into the distance he could see the three prone figures and their now broken Christmas gifts on the ground. He smiled. "Easy money." He adjusted his mirror so that he could view his new hostage. His smile shifted into a feral grin. "But the best is yet to come." He raised his hand and signaled his group to rev up as they raced faster onto the highway out of the city.

The only remaining proof of his deeds floated gently on the winds behind him for but a moment before falling to the ground and being crushed into the pavement by the remaining motorcycles. A few stray hairs from his victim.

Long, blonde, hairs.

End

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Rider: It feels good to write again. How did everyone like it? Or not like it? You guys know how it works. Please leave a little something if you have the time and desire.

Star: Bai-bai!

Wraiths: Sayonara.

Rider: Shitsureshimasu. 'Till the next, live well.