I don't wanna have to miss you.

I don't wanna have to say goodbye.

I don't wanna have to leave you

To the big bowl in the sky.

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- Cavetown (Big Bowl In The Sky) -

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{- Chapter Two -}

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The night air felt nice and crisp as Rina breathed it in deeply. A cool breeze blew onto her pale skin, tangling itself in her long, dark hair. She sat on the roof of her uncle's shop.

The noirette tucked her legs under her arms and hugged them close to her body. She could hear Kisuke wheeze with exaggerated exhaustion as he pulled himself up and onto the building that they both called home.

Her blood-red eyes closed, a hint of playfulness crossing her features. This stupid old man will be the death of me, she thought.

"Don't laugh at me," Kisuke huffed. He heard a soft exhale part from Rina's lips and raised an eyebrow. "Shouldn't you be asleep?"

"I can't," she muttered, looking up at the twinkling stars in the sky. The corner of Kisuke's mouth tugged upwards. His mischievous smile didn't go unnoticed. "What's with that look?" his niece asked warily, eyebrows knit together in confusion.

"You know what you haven't done in a while?" he flashed her a big grin. It took her about five seconds to piece together what he was silently implying.

"I'm not singing."

"Come on, Rina-chan~! Do it for me?" begged the blonde man before her. She shot him a stern look. Kisuke was, unfortunately, persistent and they both knew it. "If not me then do it for them. Do it for you." She hated to admit it but her idiotic guardian was right.

Reluctantly, she agreed. "Fine."

"Hooray!" Kisuke' face was practically glowing with joy. Rina raised an eyebrow, wondering if she would be able to push him off the roof without him noticing.

"I'll only do it once so shut up and listen," her strict tone drew the ecstatic blonde back down to Earth. He nodded and crossed his legs like a grade school student. His eyes sparkled as he watched the noirette take a deep breath.

"Look to the soft and misty skies;

The moon is full and wind is blowing.

Now please love don't you close your eyes.

I see your fear is growing."

Memories of old filled her mind; remnants of what was left of her parents, or rather, what little she could remember.

"You do not have to be afraid.

Darling, please be brave.

There's nothing out there quite like me, don't you see?"

The one image left unaffected by her sudden was the lyrics to her mother's lullaby and her beautiful voice. She made sure that she knew every word by heart, burning each syllable into her brain.

"Not every monster's scary,

Sometimes they are on your side.

I'll leave the bad ones wary.

I'll gnash and bite, they'll run and hide."

The shadow of despair was once again wrapping its razor-sharp talons around Rina's mind. Despite the heartache it brought, the song also delivered fond memories and that familial warmth she yearned for.

"You don't have to fear the dead;

You'vе tamed the monster undеrneath your bed.

You don't have to fear the night,

'Cause I'll be watching you 'til morning light."

Closing her eyes, the teen felt a slight breeze pick up. It was cold yet she found herself nof caring. Her voice began to break as the crisp air dried up her throat but she kept on singing. Kisuke noticed but kept quiet. He knew the pain it caused her. She could have stopped whenever she wanted.

Unfortunately for Kisuke's listening pleasure, Rina couldn't take the pressure anymore and simply let the song fade into the veil of the night.

As the last few words left her lips, she slowly lifted her eyelids. Kisuke joined her in staring off into the night sky, seeming to reminisce just like his niece was.

"Annette loved that song and sang it to you all the time. It never failed to calm you down," he mumbled, an affectionate smile making its way onto his face. "You're just like her, you know?"

"What happened to them?" Rina asked hesitantly, her voice quiet. If she was any louder, she'd surely start crying. The blonde next to her paused. He let out a sigh that went undetected as he gently rested his hand on top of the girl's head. He kept smiling as crickets chirped around them happily.

"You'll find the answer someday," his voice was so tranquil that it almost upset her. She rolled her eyes at his sudden optimism.

"Don't pull that cryptic bullshit on me," she grumbled with a frown.

"Nothing cryptic about it, Rina-chan," Kisuke stated bluntly with a chuckle. The girl at his side let out a lengthy sigh, an unstoppable smirk gently twisting her features. She leaned over, putting her head on the blonde's shoulder.

"Thank you," she closed her eyes again, smile lingering.

Kisuke shivered, "Don't do that. It makes me feel old." The dread in his voice caused the teen leaning shoulder to burst into a laughing fit. She used her hand to cover her mouth as she giggled. Kisuke shook his head and clicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth.

Amongst the night's quiet atmosphere, Rina's mind began to wander back to an earlier conversation. After a minute or two of silence, her dark eyebrows knit together in confusion. She sat up, looking towards Kisuke with a look that told him she was going to ask a question. He merely threw her a large smile.

"You said I was just like my mother," she paused, frowning at his quirked, sand-coloured eyebrow, "What did you mean?" Kisuke didn't expect this type of question but he answered nonetheless.

"You're their child so of course you're similar to both women." His answer didn't satisfy her. She elbowed him in the rib while asking for him to clarify. He painfully laughed as he held his side. Rina gave him a minute to let him think through his answer. He sighed when he was ready. They were the only family that each other had left, blood relatives or not.

"Let's see...You have Saira's hair and eyes. She was well known for those piercing and analytical crimson orbs of hers. More of her features got passed down to you. Your personality is a bit tricky, however. Once you get mad, you can turn into a rabid dog, just like Annette. " He smirked as memories of two familiar women popped into his mind.

He continued, passing on whatever he could recall to Rina. "I'd known Saira longer than Annette but that doesn't mean she liked me more. She only tolerated me by a slightly larger percentage. Everyone loved Annette but everyone was always scared of her wife. Their personalities contradicted so much that it was surprising their bond was so strong."

Rina's lips had unconsciously curved into a smirk. "Opposites attract," she chuckled along with Kisuke.

Soon enough, their voices died down enough that the chirping crickets and hooting owls were louder than they were. Kisuke raised an eyebrow as he watched his niece let out a yawn so big that made her eyes tear up. She shivered immediately after as a brisk breeze blew by.

"Come on, Rina-chan. Let's get you back inside. This cold isn't good for your health," the shopkeeper insisted as he stood up.

"I've been sick for years, Kisuke...We still don't know what it is?" the raven-haired teen next to him nodded sluggishly as she got up and stumbled onto her feet. She tried to step forward but was hit with a sudden wave of drowsiness. Her feet fell out from under her. Before she could tumble off the roof, Kisuke caught her.

"Woah there," the sandy blonde muttered as she clung to him. Her yawn drowned out her apology as she was scooped up by Kisuke. The shopkeeper looked down at the girl who had almost immediately fallen asleep in his arms with a heavy sigh. A bright, yet somewhat Melancholic smile made its way onto the blonde's face.

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"What did you bring today, Rina-chan?" Orihime flashed a radiant smile in the direction of her classmate. She had convinced Zephyrine to eat with her and Tatsuki in the classroom. The long-haired girl brought a small lunch box out of her bag. Orihime gasped. It was practically empty.

"Nothing special. Just a cookie," she pulled out a stolen cookie from Kisuke's shop. Orihime pouted adorably.

"You really must eat more than that! You'll starve before you get home!" she pleaded, causing Rina to chuckle awkwardly.

"It's fine, really. My uncle will get me something when I get home," the raven-haired teen held her hands to politely say no. Her orange-haired classmate turned to Tatsuki, wanting some input on the situation. After a moment of silence, she sighed.

"Here. I can spare you some food but try bringing an actual meal next time!" she threw a rice cake in the girl's direction. Rina snatched it up quickly but then threw it back with the same lightning-fast speed. Tatsuki raised a dark eyebrow at her reflexes.

"Seriously, I'm fine. Like I said, if I get hungry, I'll just wait. Thank you for worrying but I don't want to be a pain," her scarlet eyes closed gently as she smiled sincerely in the duo's direction. Orihime shook her head and tsked before reluctantly dropping the subject.

She wasn't going to force the girl to eat, but she wouldn't stop worrying about her health, either. She'd simply have to remind her until she got the message. Tatsuki, on the other hand, was more interested in another characteristic Rina had unknowingly exhibited.

"That was a pretty nice catch. Did you pick up any sports while you were out?" she asked, chocolate eyes sparkling with the tiniest bit of intrigue. Rina opened her mouth to say something but then paused. She seemed to re-evaluate her answer before speaking.

Her eyebrows creased a fraction, "Well...Not technically. I guess I picked up a few moves from my Uncle when he homeschooled me. Self-defence and whatnot..."

Orihime's face lit up with another one of her characteristically radiant grins as she quickly turned to face Tatsuki. A bead of sheepish sweat fell down the tomboy's face as she averted her gaze.

"You two should challenge each other sometime!" the bubbly teen suggested. Her friend thought for a moment, a smile spreading across her face as she nodded.

"We could see what you've got after school if you want. There shouldn't be any practice today," she appeared to be genuinely excited. Unfortunately, both girls failed to notice Rina's cautious reaction.

Her face had paled at the offer, a cold sweat gliding down her brow as her soul left her body. She had seen Tatsuki stick up for Orihime when guys tried to get her number during class. Not someone she really wanted to fight. Voluntarily or not—

"Y-Yeah, sure."

Her mouth moved without her consent. Instantly, she tried to think of ways to escape the situation. She wasn't going to fight the broad who could—and would—kick anybody's ass. Orihime wrapped her in a tight hug as she beamed, child-like enthusiasm radiating from her. Tatsuki simply closed her eyes and shook her head with a smile still plastered on her face.

Rina found that her throat was exceptionally dry as she swallowed her pride and went along with it. Kisuke had taught her many things...but karate was never one of them. She didn't know the rules nor did she know how to fight. Hopefully, she would get a chance to clear things up with Tatsuki and Orihime before any damage was done to her pride or body.

By the time the last class of the day came to an end, Rina found herself thinking up recipes for dinner. Kisuke never would cook since he said he "enjoyed her food much more". She knew that he was just being lazy but she didn't mind it this time. She used to love cooking with her mothers, after all.

When she made it outside, the sun blinded her with its rays, forcing her to cover it up with her hand. She clicked her tongue in frustration before she began walking again. Students were starting to flood the courtyard and file through the gates. There were so many of them but Rina kept her eyes ahead of her.

About one block away from the school, she found herself searching for a familiar black canine. A half-smile softly lit up her face when she ran a hand through the mutt's wild fur.

"Let's go home, Zai."