Started on this immediately after the last chapter. Man... that last one was really long, 4,000 something words o_o. Apparently this fic currently has the most reviews of any Ojamajo Doremi fanfic on fanfiction at the current time (May 27, 2013) so WOOHOO! But I'm a total glutton and narcissist so keep 'em coming! Gotta keep that top dog spot right? :D C'mon! Please! I love reading your reviews! Just because we hit 100 (technically 103) doesn't mean we should stop now! PLEASE?!
Even though I love reviews I can promise you I'm not going to do that bargaining/hostage thing, where I demand ten reviews all about the amazingness of a fic before I post the next chapter. Nah, I won't do that... Seriously. I won't.
But I do love reviews so...
yeah... review.
Still in flashback.
Sa-Soo-Kay
Pacing back and forth in frustration in front of the average suburban home, a small girl let out a growl as she ran her hands through her bubblegum pink hair. Poppu had been waiting for Kotake to return from his most recent soccer tournament. She needed to talk to him.
It'd been some time since the funeral and the young girl needed someone to talk to, someone who would understand just how devastated she felt when she lost her sister.
If anyone could comprehend Poppu's pain, her frustration, her need to go back in time, relive the old days with Doremi, it was Kotake.
She'd been hesitant at first, the young girl was wary of her negative relationship with him, but she knew he missed Doremi just as much as she did. He couldn't let go either.
It was something of a group therapy the pink-haired child was hoping for, the two of them could sit down and just talk about the old days, about the happy times, about Doremi.
Granted she'd attempted to talk to others first, her parents, the ojamajos, other close friends of Doremi, but all of them rejected the idea. Each claimed they needed to move on and live life happily, for Doremi.
Poppu had finally just barely consented her older sister was probably dead, she was technically still coming to terms with the idea. She wasn't ready to let go, she needed to remember the redhead for as long as possible, otherwise she might forget.
Forget her sister's acts of clumsiness.
Forget her sister's acts of kindness.
Forget her sister's laugh.
Forget her sister's smile.
Forget her sister.
Poppu would never forget Doremi.
Never.
The pinkette was determined to wade through life with the baggage of her sister's death for the rest of her existence. Regardless of what it would do to Poppu herself, she was never going to let go.
These were the sentiments she needed to share, the thoughts she needed to express.
Plus, he might join her in the mission to hold onto Doremi's existence, they could split the load and struggle through life together, clinging to thoughts of Doremi till their last breath.
A brief flicker of a thought pranced across her mind for a second, a romantic sentiment suggesting the pinkette and Kotake would bond over mutual thoughts of her sister, that Poppu could fill his void.
Gasping at the traitorous thoughts, the young girl shook her head.
It wouldn't happen, he loved Doremi.
'But Doremi isn't here.' Her brain reasoned, it's suggestive tone causing Poppu to bite her lip, 'You could be Doremi.'
She could never be Doremi.
With a shriek of frustration, Poppu slapped herself.
Screw any romantic thoughts she was having, just think Doremi. Doremi. Doremi. Doremi. Doremi.
Leaning against the fence around his home, the pinkette began to tap her foot anxiously, her arms crossed against her chest, and her fingers digging into the soft underside of her elbows.
Suddenly she spotted a figure in the distance, tall and tan making his way down the sidewalk.
The spikes protruding from his head revealed him as the person of interest: Tetsuya Kotake.
Pushing off the fence lightly, Poppu stood proud and straight, ready to spill her guts and start the healing.
However as he approached she noticed something was off; he had a slight bounce in his step, his shoulders weren't slouched, his chin was up, and as he slowly came closer she spotted it: he was smiling.
Rage.
Pure, fiery, seething rage.
She couldn't breathe, she couldn't speak, She couldn't.
She just couldn't.
All she could do, all she could see, was red.
A furious red.
She was in front of him in a second, panting as she glared up at the teen.
He was carrying two trophies, a first place in his age division and a second place overall. His smile faltered at the sight of her.
"You..." the small girl tried, her voice low and gravelly from emotion, "You bastard!" She screamed her voice punctuating the heavens. "All this time you've been sad: 'oh boo-hoo Doremi is gone, I loved her sooooo much' but now that you have a fucking pair of trophies suddenly it's all better?! Did she mean so little to you that she could be replaced by some tacky metal-coated giant cups?! Some kind of love that is! I thought you cared about her, I thought she cared about you, I thought "hey, if its Kotake, it'll be okay, he loves her" but no, nope, turns out you loved her so fucking much that she could be replaced by TWO FUCKING CUPS." she let out a breath as her pink eyes stared into his cobalt blue ones.
"You don't think I'm sad?" He asked, his face an expressionless mask, " I'm sorry, but I'm not 'sad' sad doesn't begin to describe how I feel, hell, the closest word to what I'm feeling is suicidal. You think two fucking trophies are why I'm smiling? You think these pieces of shit are worth Doremi to me?!" He shouted, chucking the awards onto the ground, "This has nothing to do with trophies, they don't even register in my mind when I fucking think about Doremi!" The soccer player paused, taking a deep breathe and visibly calming down, "I love Doremi, as weird as it sounds considering my age and the fact I honestly don't know what love is, I still love her. But, I know her and I've been thinking... The kind of person Doremi is... The way she cares about everyone... she wouldn't want this. She wouldn't want anyone to suffer because of her, she would want us to be happy to move on. She would want me to fall in love with someone else and live my life. She would want you to move on, live life happily and to the fullest. She-"
"Shut up! I won't- I will never- I can't- JUST SHUT UP!" Poppu screamed as she turned and ran from the teen. The soccer player found himself alone.
"She would want us to be happy," Kotake mumbled bitterly to himself, as he bent down to pick up the two worthless cups on the ground, "Can I be happy?" The brief thought of a redhead with pigtails laughing her head off made him grin as he straightened back up with the trophies in his hands.
"I can try." He muttered, his cobalt eyes glancing up at the sky where he thought Doremi was. With a smile he walked into his home and shut his door behind him.
Poppu and Kotake avoided each other completely after that, no longer arguing over Doremi. Poppu stopped bad mouthing Doremi and Kotake grew out of his depression.
As far as each was concerned the other might not have existed.
Time passed and Kotake moved away to go to an elite academy with a highly recognized sports team. It was that time that slowly healed Poppu and allowed her to see what Kotake had been trying to tell her.
Live happily. For Doremi.
Unfortunately he'd already moved away and she could never thank him for what he'd been trying to tell her.
Now, over three years later, she had found him , ironically in the middle of a forest on a private island off the coast of California, but she'd found him.
She needed to tell him.
They both opened their mouths and a single phrase was shared.
"You were right."
Aww man, I the majority of that while thing during school on my phone. Just... Wow. O_o
Reviewer shout out!
Kadaj5!
This really is a thank you, not an insult in any shape or form so please don't think that in anyway am I saying this in some form of contempt, I am honestly grateful for your feedback.
See... how do I put this... Your reviews keep me focused? On task? More like... no... wait... ughhh...
You critique my work, as in when you read this you think to yourself (or at least I think you think to yourself) something along the lines of "Hey... this would be better if..." and then you actually tell me. And I really appreciate that.
(Now, don't everybody start sending me critiques on everything like how I accidentally typed 'he' instead of 'the' in one chapter or the string of noglastias in that other chapter; I know I screwed up. Once I finish the story I'm going back and taking care of every error I can find.)
But not only do you critique and comment on my work, but even when correcting me you leave my self esteem intact, which, quite frankly, is pretty awesome.
I really appreciate that.
Also, when you recommended my fanfiction on Tvtropes I was so happy I bragged to my younger sister for over an hour and I never really thanked you for that so... thanks!
...yeah. Thanks Kadaj5!
