Kay, just a heads up: THIS IS NOT THE LAST CHAPTER! I have an epilogue waiting, which I will write/put up any day now :) P.S. Did anyone see the connection with Chapter 5? I sure did! (Duh, Anabelle, 'cause you wrote it). I like to talk to myself sometimes :P Anyway! This chapter has a little spice to it that I think a lot, if not all, of you will enjoy very much ;) Enjoy, my readers!

Chapter 29: Divine Intervention

"Tombo, what did you just say?" Aimi could not believe what I was telling her. I could not believe I was telling her. For the last few months, I was oblivious to who I was. I could finally see past that and remember.

"I said I remember," I repeated. I remembered, I remembered everything. I remembered my childhood, I remembered going to school, I remembered that summer Kiki first came to town. I remembered how I felt the second I saw her. She was flying so proudly on her broomstick. I wanted to fly right next to her and I didn't even know who she was! But once I got to know her, I felt something.

Kiki was right; I was in love with her. I thought at that age no one could find love, but we did. I loved her. I still do. I needed to tell her.

"Tombo, you…you remember?" I looked at Nori who was about to burst into tears. I smiled and nodded. Everyone began crying and smiling (Except Kazu because he's Kazu). Nori embraced me, crying on my shoulder. "I thought you would."

"What?" I asked her. She looked up at me with the tears still in her eyes. She smiled and said, "That plane was the world to you! On the way here I had a thought…maybe you would remember." Everyone nodded in agreement. It seemed I was the only one who was oblivious to how important this was to me.

"Wait, prove it." Aimi said, "Tell me something only I would." She was somewhat skeptical, and that would bite her in ass.

"You still sleep with Mr. Fuzzy Bear," I said. Her eyes widened as the rest quietly laughed.

"How…how did you even know that? No one knows that!" She asked.

"Your door was open one night last summer and I saw you sleeping with Mr. Fuzzy Bear. You've had him since the 2nd grade when Mom bought him for your birthday." They all started laughing louder now. It my turn to embarrass everyone now.

"Kazu, remember when you were the one being bullied?" Everyone stopped laughing now. Kazu looked at me with shock. I smiled. "I was the one who kicked their ass in 5th grade. Once high school started you became the cool one and started defending me." He had to laugh at that one. It was something we agreed never to talk about, but in this specific case, I had to.

I looked at Nori and remembered that night. Of course, there was not anything to remember since we were drunk and nothing actually happened. Nori looked at me and nodded. I did not have to say anything for her to know I remembered that. We were friends – nothing more.

"I told Kiki." She said. My emotions went blank. I thought my ears had heard wrong. We promised never to speak of it again, so why was she telling me she told Kiki? She was the one person I never planned to tell.

"I'm sorry; I don't think I heard you correctly. It sounded like you said you told Kiki the thing we were never going to tell anyone."

"I had to, Tombo," she replied, "She was pulling away from me. She had thoughts before I told her, so it wasn't like I randomly told her."

"Told Kiki what?" Aimi asked.

"So you thought she needed to know?" I shouted, "She probably hates me even more now!"

"Tombo one of us was going to tell her eventually! You didn't even know so it had to be me!"

"Can someone just tell me what it is?" Aimi shouted.

"Tombo and I almost had sex in high school." Aimi gasped, as well as everyone else. Kazu only laughed. It was his fault it almost happened.

"Don't laugh!" I told him, "It was your fault!" He could not control himself. He knew he was the cause of it, but he was proud.

"I know," he said, "I knew the whole time." Nori and I looked at each other, blaming the other for telling him. "I saw it."

"You what!" Nori shouted. She ran after him to attack, but I held her back. "Let me at him! He's such a pig!" Kazu could not help himself. He was cracking up.

"Why didn't you stop us?" I asked. Nori calmed down and we waited for Kazu's answer. He stopped laughing for a second to tell us his excuse.

"Well, I always knew you two had a thing going on, and that was the reason why I convinced you to ask Nori to Prom."

"That still doesn't explain why you didn't stop us." I said, crossing my arms.

"Or why you watched." Nori added.

"I'm getting to that," he said, "It was also the reason why I brought alcohol to the party."

"Kazu!" Aimi shouted, "You brought alcohol to a high school party?"

"That was four years ago! It's ancient history!" He said, defending himself, "Anyway, back to the story. I made you two drink it to get you guys…in the mood. I told you I would back in an hour, but I went upstairs and waited for you two. Well, of course I was right."

"Yeah, how about we skip the details and get to why you wanted us to do it?" I demanded.

"You were always talking about how much you were in love with Kiki, and I wanted to see how 'in love' you were with her. When I saw you two pull apart, telling each other it was mistake, I knew for sure. You really were in love with Kiki."

"So let me get this straight," Nori said, walking up to him, "You made us drunk to get us in bed just to prove Tombo was in love with Kiki?" She had him pressed against the wall in fear.

"It worked, didn't it?" Was all he could say. Nori sighed in disgust and slapped. She walked back to us as we all chuckled. At that moment, I remembered the day after that night. I went to the jeweler to have something custom-made…

"I have to go back home!" I said, running out of the room. I burst through the doors and passed machines. When I made it outside, I lost my way. I forgot which way was faster from Kenta's to the apartments.

"Tombo!" I looked behind me and saw the rest of them running after them. Kazu's car was parked outside – an advantage.

"Kazu! Take me to my place!" I told him. He did not take a second glance. He jumped into the front seat and started the car. Nori and Aimi came up to me as I put my seatbelt on.

"Tombo, what do you need?" Aimi asked me. I never told anyone this before, but now was the time to. Everything would be clear soon enough.

"I'm getting my ring," I told them. I motioned for Kazu to drive, and we were gone.


"Hurry, Tombo!" I ran to the apartment building and took my key out. My hands were shaking; I could barely put the key in the hole. I had to hurry; Kiki was depending on me. I could not waste any time.

I finally opened the door and ran up the stairs. I passed pictures along the way, pictures in time I remembered. I smiled to myself, knowing I remembered each and every one of those moments.

I had no time to reminisce on these memories. I had a duty to complete. I opened the door to my bedroom. It was a mess, as always, but I hid this so carefully.

No one knew. I had this done years ago, but the emotions I felt when I purchased it were still there. I opened my sock drawer and took out all the socks until I could see it. That small box I kept hidden for four years. I slowly opened it to see the diamond beauty. It was not anything too glamorous since I bought it in high school, but I knew she would love it. If she took me back.

There was no guarantee Kiki would take me back after all that has happened in the last few months. I really hurt her. I made her believe I loved her. Aimi was right; it was only impulse that I wanted to kiss her. She had strong feelings for me and I took advantage of them. I could only hope she would forgive me.

Kazu honked the car horn, telling me to hurry up. I closed the small box and ran out of the room. I had to get to Kiki, and fast.

I locked the door to the apartment and jumped into Kazu's car. He pressed the gas as hard as he could and we were off. "Where to?"

"Back to Kenta's," I told him. He did an illegal U-turn and drove back the way we came. There were some honks at us, and I knew Kazu would get in trouble for that later.

"So, you went to get a ring?" He asked. I nodded in reply. I opened the box and showed him.

"Dude! That looks really expensive!" he shouted. I laughed slightly.

"Yeah, it did," I told him, "it was worth it, though."

"So your plan is to propose to Kiki?" He asked. I nodded. It was strange to believe by the end of the day I could be engaged to the woman of my dreams. She had to say yes, she just had to! I did not want all this effort to go to waste. She had to say yes. She loved me, too. She would. I knew she would.

"That's the plan," I whispered. I just hoped it was good enough.

"Tombo! Kazu!" We arrived at Kenta's within minutes. They all waited for us to come back. I jumped out of the seat, clutching onto the box. "What ring? What did you mean by your ring?" I opened the box and showed them. The ring took them aback.

"Oh Tombo, it's gorgeous!" Nori said. It was nice having a female's perspective. Now I knew she would love it. I hoped she would. I was still unsure of how she would react. "Wait, are you going to propose to Kiki?" I nodded. Nori was so ecstatic. Aimi, on the other hand, was not.

"Tombo," she said in her stern tone, "how are you going to get there?" I had an idea, but I knew Aimi would freak out. I looked to the back room, indicating my mode of transportation. The second Aimi caught on to my idea, she disagreed completely.

"Oh no!" She shouted, "You are not going on that thing again!"

"Why not? It's the only thing fast enough to get me there before sunset!"

"I don't care! You're not going!"

"And why not?" She took a moment before responding. I did not understand what was wrong with Kiki. Ever since she came back, Aimi has tried to keep us apart. It made no sense.

"Your graduation." She said plainly. I almost forgot about that. I was to receive my diploma today.

I could not leave Kiki to wonder. She was more important to me than some silly diploma. My professors loved me, and they surely would understand my absence. Some would find the idea silly, but it was important to me. I had to tell Kiki how I felt.

"That doesn't matter anymore," I told her, "I'm running out of time!"

"Go tomorrow! And don't you dare take that death trap!"

"Then why the hell did you fix it if you didn't think I would fly it again?"

"Because it meant something to you, Tombo!"

"Then why don't you see this means something to me? Kiki is the greatest thing that has ever happened to me! I cannot let her go!"

"You don't have to! Take the train tomorrow!"

"And miss my chance? No. Not again. Get out of my way and let me through!"

"I can't lose you again!" She shouted. Everyone went silent. No one said a word. The only thing that could be heard was the tears coming from Aimi's eyes. She sat down against the wall and cried her eyes out. I sat next to her and wrapped my arms around her.

"I just can't, Tombo," she whispered, "I thought I lost you last time. I cannot let it happen again." I held her close and let her cry. It was hard for all of us. I was fighting to live and they were fighting for me to live.

"Aimi, I know you're worried," I said, "But you have to understand this is something I have to do. If I don't go, Kiki will never know how much in love I am with her." She began to wipe away her tears. I looked into her eyes and she nodded. I smiled and helped her stand up.

"Alright, you can go," She said, "You tell her and then you both come straight back here, you hear me?" I nodded and hugged her once more. She always went soft on me when I begged.


We all ran to the back room again and told Kenta to open the doors. I took my helmet and goggles and put them on. I opened the front window and seated myself. I would have to fly myself manually. Twelve hours of biking…I could do that.

"Now remember Tombo," Aimi said before I took off, "If you ever get tired, just remember why you're going there. Don't stop pedaling." I nodded. There was more riding on this than not seeing Kiki ever again.

"Be careful!" I heard Nori say. I gave them all thumbs-up and looked ahead. The second those doors opened, I began pedaling. My future was riding on this trip. Whether it was a future with Kiki, without Kiki, or no future at all. This was more dangerous than the Dirigible incident. And this time I did not have Kiki to save me. This was something I had to do alone.

Kiki's POV

"Thanks, Mom!" I shouted to my mother as I ran outside. I felt like a teenager again, running to the fields. I could stare at the sky forever, watching the clouds change forms or the sun rising and setting each morning and night. This town was no Koriko, but it gave me the same feeling as Koriko. Not anymore, though. Koriko was gone; this was my home.

I decided to stay with my parents and aid my mother in being the witch in our hometown. It was hard enough being for a witch to find a town without one, and evener harder to walk away from that town.

For the last two weeks, my mother has had me doing errands, sending potions to neighbors and bringing back new orders. I needed a short break from all the hard work. Flying takes it out of you.

"Wait for me, Kiki!" I turned around and saw Jiji scurry over to me. He crawled underneath the white picket fence and joined me on the other side. "The fields?" He asked, climbing onto my shoulder. I smiled and nodded. It had been so long since I rested in that field and just enjoyed life. I needed a break from the world.

I walked along the dirt path and stared at the trees above. They rustled in the wind, sending leaves across the road. It was beginning to look like a summer's day, what with the wind blowing along with the burning sun. June was approaching, as was my 21st birthday.

It is said that if a witch does not become a master by her 21st birthday, she loses her magic and can never return to the way she used to be. I was one of the lucky ones to become a master witch at such a young age. My mother was a great teacher, and I could not wait to pass her skills on to my daughters. If I ever had children.

A year ago, I planned to tell Tombo how I felt. I was hoping he would tell me the same thing, giving me my happily ever after story. I was no Cinderella; dreams were only that – dreams. It was too complicated.

I thought about him every day, wondering how he was doing. I was sure he knew I was gone by now, and he understood that I had no intention of returning to the way things were. Nothing could bring us back but the past. It was lost to him, and I did not want to live with that anymore. If he could not love me the way he used to, there was no point in trying.

"Are we going to stay until the sunset?" Jiji asked.

"That's why we're going," I told him. We both loved watching the sunset disappear behind the hills. Back in Koriko, we would watch it set into the ocean, but the hills were a second best.

I jumped onto the rocks over the river and walked through the opening in the trees to the field. It was so open and calm here. I could think without anyone distracting me. However, with Jiji here it would be hard to concentrate. He would ask me questions about everything that I did not have an answer to.

We sat in the middle of the field and watched the sun. It was amazing how we could see the same sun Koriko could see. It always fascinated me how the sun could shine across the whole world. It was one of the things I loved the most about Earth.

The sun was still high in the sky, so it would be a while until the sunset occurred. I slowly closed my eyes…

"Kiki?"

"Tombo, go away."

"Wow, that was a little harsh."

"Well, I don't need you invading my dreams again. Last time did not work out so well."

"Last time? This is the first time I've ever been here."

"What are you talking about? When you were in that coma you visited me almost every night."

"When I was in that coma I was trying to wake up. I haven't seen you since you left. How are you?"

"I'm holding on. I'm living with my parents again."

"Any chance you'll...go back to Koriko?"

"When you remember your past, then I'll think about it."

"My past began when I woke up from that coma."

"…Tombo, what are you saying?"

"I'm saying you should wake up…wake up… Kiki just…"

"WAKE UP ALREADY!" I shot my eyes wide up and sat up. It was only a dream. It felt so real, like he was there. But what was he saying about never being there before? It was…no, I could not say it. That was impossible.

"What do you want, Jiji?" I said, rubbing my eyes. He pointed his paw to the sky.

"You have company." I looked out, but my eyes were still blurry from the sleep. As I squinted, I saw it.

"Tombo's plane?" I questioned. It was approaching us fast, too.

"I don't think it's just his plane, I think it's Tombo!" Jiji shouted as I picked him up and got out of the way. The plane landed where we were moments later, stopped by the trees. I breathed a sigh of relief, knowing we were okay. Now the real question was if he was okay.

"Tombo!" I shouted. I dropped Jiji and ran to the plane. The right wing was broken and smoke came from the engine. When I got to the plane, I saw him. It really was him! "…Tombo? Is…is that you?"

"In the flesh," He said. I ignored his commentary and helped him out of the plane. He had a cut on his forehead, but that would heal. I was still wondering what he was doing here. Well, I knew why he was, but I wanted to know what made him think he could come barging in that way.

"Surprised to see me?" He asked with a smile. I showed no emotion. I was still not talking to him. I walked back to Jiji.

"You can spend the night at my house and I'll buy you're train ticket in the morning."

"Train ticket? You think I flew all this way to wreck my plane and just go back?"

"No, but all I'm saying is-"

"Kiki, I just flew twelve hours to get here! I pedaled for twelve hours nonstop! I am not leaving until you hear what I have to say!" It seemed serious, so I let him speak his mind.

"Okay," I said, crossing my arms.

"I have had a rough day today," he began, "my sister could barely look at me at breakfast, Osono told me not to go to bakery because of how obsessed I was about seeing you again, and then Nori and Kazu tell me my plane is fixed."

"I don't see how bad that last one sounds," I said, looking down at the grass.

"Yeah, it was bad. Because before I remembered how important that was to me, I was having a rough day." Did he just say remembered? "And then the minute I see that damn plane, everything begins making sense. Why I was so in love with flying, why I was so grateful to have the friends I did, and why I was so in love with you." My eyes bolted to his. He was serious; he was truthful. That was not the Tombo I had come to know. He was fooling me, I knew it. I grew more irritated and slapped him across the cheek.

"What the hell was that for?" He shouted. I crossed my arms again.

"That was for lying to me. You're not taking me back to Koriko."

"How come you don't believe me?"

"Because that's who you've become!" I shouted, "I don't trust you anymore!"

"Allow me to prove myself?" He said. I stared at his face. He was so determined, but so was I. I shook my head, slowly walking back as I did. I turned around and began walking away. It was too much for me to handle.

"You saved my life," He shouted. I stopped in my tracks. I did not turn around, but I stopped where I was. "We were about to be hit by a car, and your magic kept us in the air." I stayed where I was, but I was still listening.

"And then the Dirigible came, and with that summer wind, it blew me up in the air with it." I gradually turned around. "You didn't care what my friends said; you only cared if I was going to live or not. And you saved my life. Twice."

"Twice…" I whispered. I looked into his eyes. They were not lying to me. They were calm and gentle. They were Tombo.

"Tombo…" He nodded, and all I could do was run into him. I had found him again. I knocked him to the ground as I embraced him. It was the same as when I slipped on the ice, only this time I was willing to kiss him.

"Kiki," He said, sitting us up, "There's something I wanted to show you." I gave him a perplexed look as he reach into his pocket and grabbed a small box. "Something I've wanted to show you for a long, long time now." He opened the box, and inside was the most beautiful ring I had ever seen.

"Kiki, would you do the honor of being my wife?" He lifted the ring from its holder, hoping I would say yes. Tears were beginning to form in my eyes.

"Tombo," I said. He gave me a worried look, as if I was about to say no. I smiled at him. I was Cinderella now. This was my happily ever after. "Are you going to kiss me or not?" He smiled at my response and pressed his lips against mine. It was just like before, only this time I knew I wouldn't leave his side. I wouldn't fly off and return in six years. I was there to stay.

One happy ending...check! I almost cried writing this, I swear! Oh, and the "Are you going to kiss me or not?" I got from the song, "Are You Gonna Kiss Me Or Not?" by Thompson Square. And did anyone understand the dream? I thought of it as I wrote it, and it totally fit! I really hope someone did :) This was one of the best chapters I wrote, and I'm so happy with how it turned out. :) Thanks again for all your reviews, I really love to see how many people love this story! I also hope you'll al stay for the epilogue coming soon. Last chapter, and then I focus on my Les Mis fanfic!

Anabelle ;)