"Mama… Don't cry. Look! Funny face!" I took hold of my cheeks in each hand, stretching playfully into a wide smile that always used to make my parents laugh. Unfortunately, it didn't work for mama. She was sobbing hysterically, hugging me and repeating my name.

"Rima, Rima…"

I released the pinching feeling of my cheeks, and dropped my arms, tears welling up my eyes. From that moment, I knew that mama wouldn't laugh although I couldn't understand why she was crying. I was young back then…so young.

I opened my eyes and sat up; wiping away the fresh tears with the back of my hand and I stared at the wet, salty droplets that reflected from the sunlight creeping through the cracks of the paper doors.

Blankly gazing around, I pinched myself on the cheeks with both hands and let out a wide smile.

"Look, look. Funny face!" I mumbled quietly to myself as I dropped the expression and shuffled out of bed; catching my reflection in a full length mirror. My skin had become ash white as if I was brought from the dead, and my appearance had gradually changed. Instead of looking at a small helpless girl, I was looking at a figure of a young teen that looked as if she just awakened into a new life.

Spinning around, I walked to the door; and pushed it aside.

I am finally home.

****************GOTHIC LOLITA*********************************

I quietly walked through the empty halls of the Fujisaki household for the first time in ages; wondering where they were. Although it has been three days, it felt like years since I have been gone.

After wandering aimlessly, I notice a lighted room and hear distinct murmurings of three people that stood inside. Quietly tip-toeing, I leaned on the wall next to the paper door and peered in through the crack.

"When is she coming back? I miss her already," A female voice said worriedly to the other female.

"So do I, Amu-Chan." She replied, flipping her ponytail over her shoulder. "For the first time, I feel like I lost someone that was actually clos-" Her sentence was cut short by a sudden, curt bang on the table that startled both females.

"DON'T. EVEN. DARE. FINISH. THAT. SENTENCE," The male muttered darkly.

"I-I'm sorry." Aiko mumbled sadly.

I quietly exhaled as my heart slowed to beat in its natural rhythm. Ever since my disappearance, he has been acting harshly to my two best friends. Perhaps it's time I should show myself to them?

But how will I explain the reason of me gone?

Perhaps, they might understand?

Maybe until I see Lilith again…

I shook my head at the thought. I shouldn't tell them the truth yet although I desperately want to, I can't. Maybe one day, I will.

Now that I'm back to my own world, I might as well stop the suffering that I caused before. This is a new beginning…a new life.

I reached for the edge of the door so that I could slide it, and I withdrew my hand, hesitating.

'What if they would start bombing me with questions?'

'What if they hate me? Should I start explaining what happened?' I crouched down into a ball, putting my hands on my head, trying to stop my overflowing mind. 'But Kusu Kusu- isn't she…'

The voices in my head were louder than the noises outside, and I never noticed or heard the footsteps pattering the floor toward the paper door and the door slid open.

"Rima?"

When I heard my name being called, all thoughts abruptly stopped as my eyes snapped open and I looked up to see a tall female with violet hair that was pulled back into a ponytail. She was wearing a pale blue long sleeved shirt with dark blue jeans with silver chains dangling from the side. She was staring at me, her large hazel orbs widely gazed my pale face.

"A-Aiko…" I stammered, unable to say anything other than her name.

"Rima!" She knelt down and wrapped her arms around me tightly. "Where…were you? We were worried sick!" She choked.

I couldn't help but let a few tears run down my cheeks, as I buried my head on Aiko's shoulder. There were distinct sounds of additional feet pattering near Aiko and me; then two pairs of arms: one male and one female wrapped around me as well. Amu was sobbing with joy and Nagihiko remained silent.

They missed me. They really did miss me.

"I'm home," I mumbled through sobs.

…

"Okay, spill. Everything." Aiko said. We were in the library, all of us seated on a different side of the table.

"I…fainted… I didn't know how long I was out until then." I mumbled. Of course it was a lie.

"Are you okay now?" Amu asked worriedly. I nodded. "I mean- your face-"

"I know." I replied. "I saw."

"Through a-" I cut off her sentence.

"Mirror? Yes."

"Why didn't you tell us?"

"I don't know. I never knew that I was gone for days."

"Are you positive that you're okay now?"

"I'm fine! To be honest, I'm happy!' And I smiled after that. Everyone stared with a serious face, and I quickly dropped my expression. "What's wrong?"

"Your mother… we should at least notify her that we found you. She's been claiming that she heard you. And the same with us..." Nagihiko trailed off. "I wouldn't think that you would have fainted when we could have heard you."

"B-but…I'm being completely honest! I mean- that's impossible, isn't it?"

For a moment, no one had said anything. I looked around in worry.

"What exactly happened to you?" Nagihiko asked, his eyes narrowing.

"It wasn't my decision! I never wanted to- I CAN'T TELL YOU!" My body was starting to tremble.

I can't tell them. I can't. I want to… I just…

Nagihiko sighed in frustration. He ran his hand through his violet hair, twisting it between his fingers.

"Let's talk about this later. We need to call her mother." Aiko nodded as she stood up and walked to the open door, sliding it closed as she was outside.

In a matter of minutes, my mother burst open the door, crying.

"Rima!"

"Mama!" I said, trying to smile. She ran to my side and gave me another tight embrace, sobbing.

"Rima…I was so worried. I thought- How can I be so irresponsible?" She sobbed. I put an arm around my mother. For once, she was acting like a mother.

"I'm here now." I choked. "I'm here."

"You're right, Rima. You're back." She lifted her head from my shoulder and met my eyes, her face creasing as she let out a gentle smile. "It's all thanks to you for helping me find my daughter. You'll make a fine husband one day." She smiled to Nagihiko who respectfully bowed.

"I thank you for such kind words." He replied humbly.

"Now, I must go and inform my husband. Rima, stay here with Nagihiko-kun and the rest of you." Mama let go of her comforting embrace and walk out of the library, dabbing her eyes with a handkerchief.

"Can Rima-Chan and I talk alone for a second?" The two females nodded as they exchanged glances at each other and left the room. "And please, don't overhear our conversation!" He yelled.

"FINE!" Aiko shouted from outside. "Amu and I will go to the onsen! We need some serious pampering now. Rima, you can come afterwards, okay?"

"Okay, Aiko." I replied and waited for the two to leave the room.

We were staring into each other for a long time before any of us spoke.

Finally, I was the one to speak.

"Nagihiko, I'm…" He shook his head.

"I'm the one who should be sorry, Rima-Chan. I have been treating you cruelly and I wasn't completely happy with your behavior. The truth is, you were right, Rima-Chan. I should have been happy when you said that you were fine." He lowered his head, his eyes covered by his long bangs. "I'm sorry, Rima-Chan."

I slid over to his side, hands caressing his cheeks. "I forgive you, Nagihiko."

That's when I kissed him on the cheek. When I pulled away, he held onto my face with both of his hands and pressed his lips against mine. It was a very quick kiss, but it felt differently than when I had kissed the Jack. The real Nagihiko, his kiss was gentler. Before I felt that I wanted to kiss him more, he pulled away and I stared at him.

"Geez, Rima-chan. The way that you kiss… something's more different." He mumbled. Apparently, he figured out something that wasn't right about my disappearance. And it just occurred to me that I, Mashiro Rima had seduced a storybook character that replaced my true lover.

"Maybe it's because we haven't done it in a long time?" I asked, trying to hide my flushed face.

"I'm not sure,"

"Then, I won't do it again." I declared, but he leaned over and kissed me again, this time; much longer than the first. I felt my heart thudded rapidly against my chest as I put my arms around his neck. After a while, he grabbed onto my shoulders and slowly pushed me away, detaching away from him.

"I didn't say that I didn't like it," he gasped. "Something about you certainly changed."

"Good thing or bad?"

"Good and bad. I think it's time for you to go to the onsen. After all… you're even paler than before."

"Pretty soon, I would be as pale as a vampire." I joked and he gave me a hardened look.

"Sorry,"

"It's fine. I promise I won't get mad anymore. But you must promise that one day, you will explain everything to me, and stop disappearing. Okay?"

"I promise." We shook pinkies and he suddenly wrapped his arms around me.

"Welcome back, Rima-Chan" He whispered in my ear and from that point on, I knew that things were about to get better. He released his hug and I stepped out, heading to the Onsen where my female friends were waiting.

At the onsen:

"Tell me everything! Did he kiss you?" I happily nodded.

"EHHH? Already?" Amu exclaimed.

"And about time! I knew that you liked each other a lot. Rima's just in denial," Aiko teased, and I gave her a glare as I splashed water.

"Okay! Okay!" She exclaimed, using her arms to shield her face. Amu and her Charas began to laugh. Temari smiled. I laughed along too, until Amu started to talk.

"Nee Rima, isn't it lonely?" I stopped laughing and looked at the steamy water sadly.

"Amu-Chan! You shouldn't say things like that!" Aiko exclaimed.

"No, she's right." I replied. "It does feel lonely." Faint memories of her disappearance began to run through my head. But the last words that she had told me still stuck to me.

'Do what is right. Kusu Kusu will come back to Rima.'

Lifting my head, I smiled.

"She said that she would come back to me…when I do what's right." Amu and Aiko looked at me in awe, and then gave me small smiles.

"Let's hope… that she's right." Aiko declared. "Come on; let's get out of the water before my skin starts to shrivel like a prune. And plus, my cousin is waiting. And you know how much he would miss his GIRLFRIEND if she doesn't come out sooner."

"Will you stop it? I AM NOT HIS GIRLFRIEND!" Amu started to laugh.

"Whatever you say," She stuck out her tongue teasingly. "I still think that you two are so adorable~"

"Put that tongue back to where it belongs before I start chasing you with a knife to cut it off." I glowered.

"Fine, fine! Since when did Rima-Chan get tougher?" I shrugged as I watched the two of them laugh and walk out of the onsen. I trailed behind and noticed something strange about the way Aiko walked.

When she walked, her legs…they look like she's limping. I knew that before she walked perfectly fine. Did something happen when I disappeared?

Out of the onsen:

"That was relaxing~" Aiko sighed happily as she sat herself on a cushion, being careful not to ruin her silk kimono. Temari had given the opportunity to dress all of Amu's Charas in silk kimonos similar to her own.

"Now, be careful with these kimonos. They should not be intended to spoil or be ruined. It is the sacred key to becoming a Yamato Nadeshiko." Temari instructed.

(A/N: As you all noticed, Yamato Nadeshiko is an OST song for the series. The special meaning behind his song literally means perfect woman in Japan or the perfect ideal woman of Japan. That's probably why Nadeshiko was considered as perfect.)

"It was! And now I'm tired~" Amu stretched her arms up in the air, letting herself fall back. The kimonos that Aiko had given us were looser than the real practicing ones.

"I'm hungry," I mumbled. "And where's Nagihiko?"

"Oh, him? He says that he was going outside for a second. I guess he went to go buy something. I'm not sure." Aiko shrugged.

"I hope so." Amu replied.

NAGIHIKO'S POV:

"Yo, Nagi! Aren't you glad that Rima is back?" I shrugged as I walked, clenching my fist hard that my knuckles paled.

"I am," I sighed. "But I'm worried. I don't think Rima-Chan just fainted. I mean- if she did, there could have been many things that could have happened to her."

"That's true. But Nagi, You're thinking too hard! You should relax an' go with the flow!"

"That's impossible." I muttered under my breath. "But, I guess you're right. Rima-Chan promised that she would tell me."

"That's good, Nagi! YAY!" Rhythm made thumbs up with his hand and I couldn't help but smile. Clutching my grocery bag, I ran toward my mansion when in the corner of my eye, I noticed a girl, crying. Unable to help myself, I stopped running and slowly approached the girl.

She was about my age, perhaps a bit older. Her black hair covered her face like a ghost, but her soft crying was audible. I sat next to her.

"Nagi, I sense something strange after her." Rhythm commented but I ignored him. After all, strange or not, she is still a girl.

"Is… everything okay?" I asked, slowly. She turned wiped the tears with the back of her hand, sniffling loudly.

"N-no." She must have been very upset. "A friend of mine…she…"

"It must have been hard for you." I replied, although she never finished her sentence.

"She's my best friend and I treated her terribly." She mumbled, her hands covering her face.

Her words had brought back memories of me being cruel to the person I loved. I looked at the ground.

"I know how you feel." I replied. "The friend you love, you're afraid of hurting her and now you feel regret in the way you act to her."

"Yes." She lowered her sobs. "And it's my fault too."

"I'm sure that she will forgive you." I said, and the girl lowered her sobs, but not lifting her head.

For a long time, neither of us spoke. I was unaware of the time lost, just sitting on the bench beside a girl with raven-colored hair that glossed out long. Her bent white arms never got dark no matter how bright the sun was.

"Yo, Nagi! It's getting late. All the others are waiting!" Rhythm tugged on my collar impatiently. I nodded.

"It's getting late, should I walk you home?" I asked eagerly, feeling the unusual urge to help the mysterious stranger. She silently shook her head and it pained me when she refused. There must be some way to help her problem. After all, the same has happened to me with Rima-Chan.

"Nagi! Let's go!" Rhythm called.

"Okay, I got it!" I mistakenly called out loud and after realizing what I had said, I immediately shut my mouth. The girl seemed to shudder and she let herself fall from the bench in shock.

"Sorry!" I cried out, alarmed as I held out a hand. "Let me help you up."

She took my hand and I pulled her up, her face was covered by her long hair.

"T-Thanks." She mumbled.

"No problem." I let out a small smile although I knew that she couldn't see it. "Anyway, I have to go. Will you be okay if I let you alone?" She nodded.

"I'm sorry if I scared you." I apologized.

"…it's okay." She replied slowly.

"Then, see you." I spun around to walk back when she grabbed my arm.

"T-Thank you." She said slowly.

"It's nothing! I've been having the same problem too. It troubles me to see others suffer from the same problem." I let out a smile.

"Guess so." She slowly lifts her head, eventually matching her eyes to mine.

Her crimson eyes enlarged after a split second, looking appalled as if she had seen someone that she shouldn't have been seeing.

"Y-you…" She uttered in a low voice, then she spun around and ran the opposite direction; disappearing in a forest.

"Nagi! Come on!" Rhythm called out again.

I spun around, nodding as I cast a last glance at the forest in which the girl has disappeared only to be called again by my Chara and I ran to catch up with him.

As I ran, I couldn't stop thinking about the words she uttered while she stared at me.

Who was that girl?

A/N: I'm soooo sorry for not uploading faster! T-T

I've been an ass for not keeping up to my promise!

You see, I've been studying, shopping, getting ready for this year's summer vacation.

And now that school ended, I'm HAPPY TO ANNOUNCE THAT I WILL CATCH UP TO FINISHING THIS STORY FOR GOOD SO THAT I CAN UPLOAD MORE STORIES IN THE FUTURE!

Before I leave, I promise you an additional update of GL soon!

Also, IFPFA is put on hold. (Because I have no idea of how to finish the second part of the play.)

So, while that is waiting; I hope you readers to be patient… since every chapter needs some thinking and a little motivation.

Maybe a little spoiler would spark you readers?

"So, you're saying that you want to redeem yourself to the world as a hero?"

"Not a hero." I implied. "But a girl who can do better things. You probably don't understand."

"I don't." Her reply was curt, but hard. "I was raised without emotions so I don't feel anything. Sympathy, Happiness, anger… none exists. I don't need emotions to do my job."

So Miyuki had no emotions. With no emotions, she couldn't be human. In fact, her cold appearance followed by her tone made perfect sense that she was indeed far superior. It was making sense.

"I see." I grinned. "I have those emotions. They are the reason why SHE changed me."

I slowly stood up; the smirk was still on my face; wide like a Cheshire cat. The girls behind Miyuki were suddenly startled and began to shrink away; soon, Miyuki and I were the ones that remained. There was some silence before Miyuki began to speak again.

"Why are you grinning? There wasn't anything amusing about your response."

"You're not human aren't you?"

"Who said I wasn't?" She dropped the doll and drew a small knife from her dress. With it, she sliced her left wrist, and then held the sharp object up. Just as she said, her crimson blood ran down the shiny blade as well as her left wrist. I winced at the sight of her blood dripping onto the marble floor which eventually slowed down to a stop. Her healing power has taken effect, as expected from a superior.

I hope that was enough to keep you waiting.

Once again, reviews are appreciated.

Thank you!

-Keii-Chii