Chapter 21

She was bored. She was certain that she had never experienced this level of boredom. Daddy had told her she wasn't allowed to do any work at all, not even her schoolwork. So, all she had left to do was surf the internet, look at the new spell books she'd purchased with Maria, and sew.

The spell books didn't take long. She'd been perusing them since she bought them. She found a few interesting little charms, and a couple of sections on summoning that she'd never read before. Something about splintering the soul and creating minions. She chuckled a little at that one. It read that she would need a traumatic experience to start the spell, and a huge amount of emotion. Poppycock! I've been through enough in my lifetime to create hundreds of the little beggars, and haven't seen 'em yet. (Mistress doesn't know we're here. The little blue minion sighed sadly and sat on Setsuka's knee.)

Her next activity had been bouncing from subject to subject on the internet. First it'd been videos, then music from almost every genre, then finally landing on her favorite subjects such as cooking recipes, the latest fashion trends and news, makeup, and the latest goings on in the entertainment industry. When she finally bored from that, she decided to start sewing.

When Maria finally came home from school, she found her favorite auntie surrounded by little tufts of fluff, bits of cloth, buttons, pins, needles, threads, ribbons, and a myriad of other sewing items. In her hands was a familiar looking doll that was nearly finished. It was her Ren-sama! "Oba-chan! Is that Ren-sama?!" She squealed out excitedly and Setsuka gave her a big smile.

Setsuka nodded. "What do you think? Does it really look like him?" She asked as she handed the girl the doll.

Maria nodded. "It's amazing. It looks just like him. Even down to the suit he wore for the Gala. Are you going to add the roses he was carrying too?"

Setsu gave her a thoughtful look. "Hmm, I don't know. I didn't really think of accessories. Do you think I should?"

A big smile crossed Maria's lips and she nodded vigorously. "Can I help?" She asked as she picked up some thin, red ribbon and started twisting it into a tiny rose.

"That looks amazing Maria. Can you make me twelve of them?" She asked as she examined the little bud.

"Sure, but we'll need to find a way to make them stay in place." She commented as she formed another.

Setsuka smiled. "That's easy. We'll just put a little stitch in the bottom... So, how did school go today?" She asked casually as she put in the first stitch.

Maria sighed and then scowled a little when she thought of what had happened after school. "It went fine, but then I had to go to my dance classes at the training center."

"Oh? What happened in class?" She noticed Maria's little scowl as she looked for something to use as a stem for the rose.

Maria nibbled on her lip a little nervously. "The acting section was rehearsing for The Miraculous Language Of Angels." She groused.

"Really? What's it about?" Setsu asked casually as she stitched the edge of some thin white cloth to wrap the roses in.

Maria pouted. "It's a stupid story about a stupid girl and her stupid family."

Setsuka giggled. "That's a lot of stupid in there. I don't think that Papa would allow a play like that to be released under LME. Is there more?"

Maria nodded.

Setsuka noticed the change in Maria's attitude and decided to drop the subject. "Well, I'm sure you have your reasons for thinking it's stupid. Oh! I know, how about we starch these threads until they're stiff and use those as stems for the roses!"

Maria noticed the change of subject and deeply appreciated it. She nodded. "I think that would be wonderful Oba-chan." She said approvingly with a small smile. Although, she firmly believed that her Oba-Setsu wouldn't completely understand her view on the play. Both of Oba-Setsu's parents had always loved her.

Lory sat in his office, trying to figure out how to deal with the situation that he had with Maria. He had scanned through that script so many times, he'd almost had it memorized. What exactly was he missing? There wasn't anything in it that should upset her. He opened it again and read the meanings, and not just the words. "She really couldn't think that, could she?" He whispered as he took in another reading. "How could she believe for a moment that Kouki hates her? He left her here so she would be with people that she felt familiar and comfortable with."

He leaned back in his chair and groaned a little. Could it be exactly as he thought? She thought that her father hated her for the accident her mother had, and that he'd left her behind because he didn't wish to be associated with her? He really hadn't put too much depth into those thoughts when everything had happened. He had been so busy with Kuon and Setsuka at the time, it never really occurred to him that she would feel that way.

She was just so young at the time. Now that he had gotten to know his granddaughter better, he realized that she was far more mature than other children her age. He groaned a little at the thought. She and Setsuka were so much alike, the only differences had been that Maria didn't have the choice of where she wanted to be and Setsu did; Kuon had been there for Maria, not Setsu and she clung to him for it; finally, Setsu shut everyone out and moved on, Maria had tried to reach out, but it was misunderstood as acceptance. He wondered what would have happened had Maria been 10 instead of 5. Would she have asked to be sent to a boarding school? He wondered if Setsu had issues with riding in a car for the first few years, and just refrained from telling anyone. He groaned again when he thought of how she'd wanted to ride her bicycle around Tokyo, and refused to go anywhere under the premise that it was bad for the environment. Yes, that had to be it and he'd totally dropped the ball on that one.

That was it. Maria actually believed that Kouki hated her, didn't want to be near her or see her face. She hated MLA because the father didn't react the way she'd expected. No one was blaming Angel for the death of her mother, how the insensitive fans and sycophants had blamed Maria for Lina's death. Maria, a 5 year-old little girl that only wanted to see her mother's face, hear her voice, and be held by her for her birthday, was considered a selfish spoiled child due to the fact that an inexperienced pilot didn't know what the hell he was doing. She'd only wanted what other children often took for granted. Where people had pitied Setsuka, they had blamed Maria. He had lost quite a few of his own friends because of that incident. He did not wish to affiliate with grown adults that would blame a child for being a child, and needing what a child needed.

There had to be a way to fix this; although, Lory had no idea how to begin. He'd been telling Maria for the past two years that it wasn't her fault, but to no avail. Ruto would spend hours trying to comfort her. Even Kuon had tried to make her understand, but as much as she adored him, his words would never get through.

Days later one would find Setsuka and Maria riding home in the limo, after a very emotional display in the actor's training section.

"I didn't always have a mother and father that loved me." She quietly confessed to Maria. "When I was a little younger than you, there was a woman that I was given to by accident. She thought she was my mother, but she wasn't. I understand Maria. I've felt that hatred. I only had her and she abandoned me. Had I not been found by my mother and father, I would have never known what it was like to have someone actually love and care about me."

Maria sniffled. "And then you lost them too."

Setsuka nodded solemnly. "I did... but I did have them for a little while. For that brief moment, they loved me, and I'd like to believe that they still do, wherever they are." Setsuka sighed and stroked Maria's hair. "Kouki doesn't hate you Maria. After what you said in the studio, I know you know that. Don't push him away, Maria. Would you be able to forgive yourself if something happened to him too? Would you really want him to leave this world, thinking that you didn't love him too?" She asked in a soft, understanding tone as they rode home from the studio in the limo.

Maria shook her head. "I don't know how. I don't even know where to start."

Setsu smiled. "Well, he does send you an email every night. Why not answer one?"

"But I don't know what to talk about." Maria said with a little despair.

Setsu giggled and poked her in the side. "Silly, just answer his question. Tell him how your day went. You don't have to write a novel. Just tell him the things you would talk to me, Ren or, Papa about. He'll understand." Setsuka suggested.

Maria nodded, gathering her thoughts and trying to decide exactly what she was going tell her daddy.