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"Uriko, we have to hurry."

"Oh come on, just give me a second! Please? I'll never get another chance to look at all these cute little things again…"

Kenji suppressed the urge to release a sigh of slight exasperation, but he had to admit that his friend's enthusiasm in their current situation was rather warm and assuring. The pair was traveling back toward the airport that brought them to the present country in the first place, but they kept getting stopped because the feline liked to pause and coo over the many shops aligning the villages they passed by. Everything just had to be examined by her curious, seeking eyes, and although she knew nothing could be purchased, she was perfectly content with browsing through the miscellaneous items scattered over the display tables of the sales places.

But as she remained distracted, it allowed the young ninja to brood over the sudden-changing events that had occurred since the comforting, fateful previous night. After they shared countless tender, spine tingling kisses, a silent admission of their friendship, it wasn't long before he and Uriko fell asleep in each other's arms. Finally, the inevitable that they both had been confused about for weeks was solved, and they could be together, and start their new, romantic relationship. What he felt for her was far too deep and intense for him to continue just being her friend, and he was relieved that she wanted to move forward with him.

The only thing that Kenji found strange was, when the duo had left Milyna's residence that morning, the Indian girl had seemed rather friendly toward the two, and even smiled at him as she bid them farewell and a safe trip back home. But he couldn't complain that her serene display was unwanted; it was certainly more preferable over a different attitude that she could have given him after he had shoved her to the ground. And now, with no more obstacles standing in his way - well, aside from the fact that he would eventually have to confront his brother in regards to the credit card bill, he and the feline zoanthrope could now return home.

"Huh, they must really like elephants here…" Uriko mused quietly as she tilted her head while inspecting a wooden elephant statue that resembled some of the others she had seen before. "These are okay-looking and all, but why does this have so many arms…?"

"The god that majority of Indians worship is an elephant idol named Ganesha." Her companion explained, sliding over and standing adjacent to her location, sending the small object a quick, amused glance before averting his attention back to the girl. "His many arms symbolize his countless boundaries of wisdom that he sympathizes towards his people."

"Wow, really? …Aww, now where would I be without my walking almanac?" She teased Kenji lightly, grinning as she gently poked the tip of his nose, and continued speaking as the two started walking along the dirt path of the current village, "Hmm, you're probably the only person that stayed awake back in Advanced World History…"

"What my peers may find boring interested me," he answered casually, shrugging his shoulders. "I like to learn new things; acquire more information about the world around me. I wish that the other students at our school would show just the slightest bit of enthusiasm for education."

"Hey, I don't mind school that much!" Uriko protested with an insistent shake of her head. "I mean, I get to be with my friends more often, and it's fun to go to some of dances and other things organized by the school, you know? I just hate math is all…" She wrinkled her nose and briefly stuck out her tongue in slight revulsion to emphasize her feelings about the aforementioned subject.

"Hmm, I like it." The ninja input with a small smile, slipping an arm around her waist in comfort, briefly nuzzling her neck, brushing stray strands of her long silky hair with his lips. "And you know that if you have trouble with math problems, you can ask me for help anytime."

"Yup, I still haven't forgotten a couple of weeks ago when you did my homework for me that one night, remember? That was so sweet of you, Kenji." She turned to look at him and winked when a slight flush crept up on his cheeks at the mention, then gently tapped him on the nose with her finger. "Oh, don't be embarrassed, I promise you won't have to do it again, teehee."

He shook his head. "I'm not worried about that. Frankly, if it was completing a task for you, I doubt that I would mind doing so at all." During his admission, he glanced away, still being a bit bashful about their newly born relationship, careful in not revealing his intense feelings for her too soon. The last thing Kenji wanted to do was scare the feline off, since he was only aware that she liked him, and had no idea how she would react if she knew that his very soul burned with fiery emotions for her mere presence to be around him. He wanted nothing more than for her just to be by his side, and was severely baffled by the way his heart pounded furiously everytime she turned to look at him with a soft smile gracing her pale pink lips.

What is this that I'm feeling…? The sixteen-year-old male allowed a frown to mar his brows as he pondered over the peculiar sensation of the lightness fluttering in his stomach. When he paused to glance around, Uriko wiggled out of his embrace, and pranced off to another stand, appearing excited as she looked at the brightly-colored jewels of homemade necklaces. He brushed his hands against the pant sides of his navy blue school uniform, and was surprised to feel dirt clinging to his fingers; a quick glance down told him that his palms were sticky with sweat. Huh, I know it's hot here, but…

His eyes flickered in the girl's direction, and when he spotted a young man fawning over a ring that she was trying on, he was hit with an impulse to walk there and lead her away. What?! That guy's just talking to her, no harm in that! There's nothing I can oppose about mere conversation… I… Urgh, this is so strange. Kenji shut his eyes and his head fell backward as he released a heavy sigh before straightening his posture and patiently waiting for his companion to come back to his side. He scoured the area at a level above the various stone buildings about the place, and spied familiar pointy towers nearby that he recognized were atop the airport.

"U-Uriko!" the ninja called as he pivoted to gaze at the girl. "I see the airport, it's close! We can go home!" His pupils shone with excitement at the thought of soon being in the warm comforts of his native country, and Uriko seemed to feel the same way, if her squealing and immediately running over to hug him tightly was any indication. Taking her hand in his, he led her in the direction of his sighting, and they hastily crossed the distance to their destination, visions of their respective rooms lingering within their minds. Both teenagers heaved huge twin breaths of relief when they passed the automatic sliding doors, and stepped into the cool, air-conditioned building.

"I'll have to use this one more time…" Kenji murmured quietly, slipping his free hand into his pocket and pulling out his sibling's credit card as the two were riding the escalator up to the ticket counters. "The bill will be enormous. I don't know how I'm going to explain this to Yugo."

"Do you think that you can grab the bill in the mail before he sees it?" The Kenpo student bit her lip in concern, and dipped her head down in a display of shame. "You know, I'll help you pay it off, since it's my fault that you had to buy plane tickets to fly all the way out here…"

"No! It's not your fault, Uriko, it was that ruthless bastard, Dakinasha." He insisted forcefully, practically spitting the accursed name out as his eyes clouded over with anger. The auburn-haired girl gently shushed him and took his arm, guiding him off the moving steps and the two strolled over to the counters where airline tickets were being sold. Nodding to show that he understood to keep his current emotions under control, the male youth presented the credit card to the saleswoman, and purchased two seats for the next flight to Japan. There was only a fifteen-minute period before the passengers would start to board the plane, so the pair used the restrooms and rushed back.

The loudspeakers flickered on just then, and announced in English after murmuring something in Indian, "…Attention passengers, Flight 208 to Japan is now boarding at Gate 9. Repeat, flight 208 to Japan is now boarding at Gate 9."

Looking up in the direction that the voice had boomed from, Kenji quickly glanced at the tickets in his hands, and informed his companion, "That's us. Let's go, home isn't far now."

"Yeah, I can't wait…" the auburn-haired girl breathed in relief, and gently clutched a hold of his arm, laying her head onto his shoulder as the couple walked toward the gate, where a flight attendant was waiting to let passengers board.

Ignoring the other people around, a small smile played over his lips as the ninja rubbed against the loose strands of the long silky tress that periodically brushed against his cheek during their trek through the walkway that would lead to their plane. He shifted a little to peer over at his partner, and chuckled softly when he saw that her eyes were half-closed, and the quiet mews emitted from her soothed his ears. She truly looked angelic, and the quickening pace of his heart at that moment jolted him to attention, but this time, he felt that he had gained some understanding over these strange new sensations suddenly making themselves aware.

His feelings for the feline zoanthrope were strong enough to the point that when she was abducted from her home and brought to India, it was as if a large portion of his soul had been carved out. A thick hand clenched around his heart, suffocating his lungs and the grip only loosened when he found the girl again, and they were finally reunited after his grueling, nerve-wracking search for her in the foreign country. She completed him, and made him whole, helped uncover the hidden aspects of his being that he never would have thought to look for or find without her persistence. For the first time in his life, it felt like he could be sure about a part of himself, and he knew there was no doubt in his mind that he wanted someone by his side for each future passing day, and that was Uriko.

Kenji glanced down at his significant other, and a perfectly content look formed over his expression, as he hugged her to his side more closely, and they slowly continued strolling along the pathway to reach their flight and finally return home.

*****

…Well, I suppose as long as he's happy…

A shrill sigh escaped into the air as the young Indian girl plucked the remaining petal off of the flower that she held in her grasp, and threw the thin stem into the grass. She sighed heavily and brushed away the dirt clinging to the cotton material of her skirt as she stood up from her sitting position, intending to leave the field and start walking in the direction leading back to her village. The afternoon sun was slowly slipping behind the mountains far in the horizon, and she knew that her mother would get worried if she did not go back to her residence by dinnertime. Milyna took one last glance around the place, and took notice to a crouched figure in shrouded clothing sitting behind a short tree just a few yards away from her location.

Slightly pursing her lips in curiosity, she decreased the short distance, and asked timidly when she was within hearing range; "H-hello? Excuse me, it's getting late… Do you need help finding your way home? Are you lost?"

The mysterious bystander slowly arose to thin, gold plate-covered feet, and pivoted to shine eyes of eerie yellow eyes at her, with pale jade strands of hair flowing freely in the steady breeze.

*****

Two weeks later, Yugo grabbed an apple off of the counter as he swung by the kitchen, holding the day's mail in his other hand and proceeding over to the dining chairs. Munching into the juicy red fruit, he sat back comfortably, and ripped open the first envelope, and then unfolded the letter inside; his eyes scanned the contents, and they bulged widely. A choking noise erupted in his throat and he emitted a gargle as he slumped down in his seat, passing out from the shock of what he saw. Fortunately for him, Alice walked into the same room a few seconds later, and gasped aloud as she quickly rushed to his side to inspect him and tend to his condition.

Completely oblivious of the scenario that was unfolding on the floor beneath him, Kenji perfected the final adjustments to his bed, making it appear like he was sleeping underneath the covers. With a cool smirk, he gripped his dark blue duffel bag tightly in one hand, quickly crossed over to the window, and pushed open the frames. Positioning his feet onto the sill, the cobalt-haired ninja stepped outside and closed the windowpanes behind him before carefully leaping off, landing on the ground. There were still a few days before Mitsuko Nonomura would return from her trip, and he wanted to be with Uriko, keep her company until her mother came back and interrupted their peaceful, private little world together.

The End

Author's Note: And I finished another Bloody Roar novel! Yeeee! *runs off to bask in the warmth of LAZEE rays* ^.~ For those of you that stuck around so long to see the conclusion of this story, THANK YOU SO MUCH! This novel was for all of you readers that faithfully stuck by me as I took a painstakingly long time to complete the entire thing. You bugged me about the updates in e-mail, IM, reviews, pleaded for the next part to be written and uploaded quickly, and I did try my best to comply. I just started college three days ago, so I was taking a little time to adjust to the new scene before finding some free space to fit in finishing this novel.

I also want to say that I'm very proud of this production, and really can't express how truly grateful I am to you wonderful fans for reading and liking this story of mine. 181 pages written over a period of six and a half months, good lord, I have no freaking life. _o; Well, I still enjoyed every second of it, and wouldn't take anything back for the world. =) It's really nice to spend so much time doing something that you enjoy very much, and get to please others by doing so too… But hey, to you fabulous readers, I want to thank you again, and I hope that those of you interested in my works will take a look at my next story in production!

I would like to personally thank the following:

AKA: Hey there, little one! =) Just kidding, don't get mad at me, teehee. You're one of my favorite fans, with our shared interests in the BR couples, and stubbornness to believe in what we liked even though others threatened to shatter our dreams. Never lose hope, and know that I'll always be there to support your opinions, just as you do mine. Keniko and Jang for life!!

Alica Tylon: You were the very first review for Sanguine Promise, so brownie points to you for getting the honor and bragging rights! ^_~ Even though I think that you lost interest in the late Chapter 20s and onward, I still want to thank you for being around so long. I wish you the best on your own fic, and don't forget to check back on me periodically if you still would like to read my new stories sometimes, okay?

CaTigeReptile: Don't ever think that people don't appreciate your Equilibrium fic, ya hear? The majority of the readers in the Ro3K category love your story, and that should be enough to convince you that it's great, quality work! I can't wait until you update again; just don't make it too long of a wait. =D We really must get together sometime and work on a book, so IM me when you have time to chat!

Dalhallyn: Sis, what would I do without your constant support and persistence that I hurry up and get out the next part of SP soon? Probably be taking a longer time to finish this story, that's what, LoL! ^.^ You were one of the most aspiring readers of my novel, and I want you to know how much I appreciated you sticking by me. Stay sweet, dear sister.

Durk: The reluctant reviewer! :P Hmm, reviewing isn't SO bad now, is it? All ya do is type in your thoughts, and make the author happy by a crisp, single click of a button, simple, no? Teehee, thanks for bugging me about updating SP, it was a very nice reminder that some readers out there really cared and wanted to see new parts up ASAP. I hope that you will be the nagger on my next BR fic to come. *wink*

Expert Predator: If I could transfer the golden gleams of the sunrays over to you, I really would. I'm hoping that reading SP cheered you up at some times when you were down, and if not, then maybe my humor pieces did? ^^0 As long as I'm of some use to picking your spirits up, LoL. :P Don't forget about me; you're still one of my best friends, and just know that I care a lot about you.

Im-35: Can I be expecting more of your wacky Canadian humor fic anytime soon? Come on, it's been a while since you last updated, get your rear in gear and write! LoL, sorry for the pressure, but I do adore that fic, it's really cute, got light romance, and CRONOS KILLING! MWAHAHAHAHA! *cough, cough* Ahem, you get the picture… ^^0 Keep up the great work! I want to see new stuff up!

Keniko Curt: What's up, my friend? Thanks a ton for reading and reviewing SP even though a lot of times; you were busy with other stuff online. I'm glad that you finished your first BR fic, but don't forget about your Zoanthrope Rangers bit either! And the sleepover fic is off to a good start, so be sure to continue that soon, all right? Peace.

Kenji Ohgami aka Card Writer: Shadow Hearts kicks major arse, hell yeah! =D You better work on your fic, I want to see how you're gonna connect Kenji and Uriko more deeply into the Shadow Hearts storyline. Whose roles are they going to be playing in the actual game itself? Inform me right away when you update that great fic of yours!!

Kitty girl: You're the best, girl! I love your e-mails; let's keep exchanging them, I'd like to hear more about how you spend your days in your new school, and I'll tell you about my own college experience, agreed? =) Let's not lose contact with each other anytime soon, 'cause our friendship is too good to go to waste, mi amiga.

Me: This is a really good alias to go under, LoL! I would take that one, but I like my Tiger penname too much. ^_~ Well, thank you for your nice reviews, adored the length and your feedback was always something that made me smile. =) Savor the BR pride!

Person with many aliases: You are famous for writing the reviews that make me laugh the most! *big grin* Maybe you should consider writing some BR humor fics, eh? =D Haha, we never know what alias you will use next to review an author's writing piece, so keep making us guess, and be sure to continue reading my future fics! ^_~

Phoebz: Hey, where have ya been lately, girl? Maybe you'll be able to catch up on what you've missed whenever you find free time to return to FanFiction.Net, and take a look at this story of mine. Keep in touch with me; you know my e-mail address.

Purinpuff: The genius behind Midnight Mole, bravo, my fellow author. Don't fall into the trap of Croniko though, or else you shall devastate my tender heart! *sighs dramatically* Hehe, anyway, keep up the excellent work on your fic, girl. I can't wait to see how you plan to get Uriko together with Kenji after she was diseased by Cronos' putrid, slimy lips. *GAGGAG* Good luck to ya!

Ramza Lionheart: Where are the next chapters of Alice in Zoanthropeland?? Get to work! We readers crave more chapters! *gurgle, foams at mouth from impatience* Hurry, or else we shall wither away from the long wait… hehehe… See? Someone cares, and that's me. I want to see more, so now that you know, get writing quickly, mister! Inform me of your updates via e-mail!

RAYClovis: Ah, the boy with the numerous ideas, hehe. I miss our long AIM talks, and hope that you will be allowed back on your computer soon, because I can't wait to see the updates on your stories! Kiss up to your parents if you have to; I'll be waiting for you to send me an IM when you come back.

You may now breathe your sighs of relief, because yes, this is the end of the credits! Haha, sorry for making this drag on so long, but I really wanted to show how much I appreciated all of your reviews and compliments, dear readers, so thank you for being patient with me. I love you all, and have a great life - don't forget to read my future Bloody Roar works; long live the Keniko fandom!!

With love for my fans,

Tiger5913