AN I added a few scenes in the middle.


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The Kindergarten Affair
By Areku
Part 8: BLUE's Big Day
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Little Yurika was in her house preparing for a very special event that was to take place in a few days. For Yurika this was the most special day of the year. It would be her birthday, and she was having a party at her house with all of her little friends.

"Mommy, can I invite Akito to the party."

"Of course you can, but would he really want to come to a girl's party."

Yurika's big eyes widened. She could see Akito getting the invitation. His face would light up and he'd be really happy. "Oh, thanks Yurika! You're the best! I'll be happy to come and I'll give you the best present ever!"

Yurika giggled at the thought. "Course he'd wanna come. I'm his bestest friend ever."

"I suppose, but don't you want to invite some other boys so Akito won't be all alone."

She scrunched up her face, "I guess we could invite Ran, and Momaru, that would be okay. I think Akito plays with them some times."

*****

The big day

Yurika was bouncing with excitement. She ran around the kitchen under her mother's feet, until she was sent to do the most important job ever. She would watch the window to see when her friends came. So she sat on her bed, with her nose plastered to the window.

There was a knock at the door.

Yurika froze for a moment. What should she do? Should she be the one to answer the door? Should she wait there in her room?

Whoever it was knocked again.

She decided to go down and see who it was. So she jumped backward off the bed falling onto the floor. She could hear her mother opening the door.

"Oh hello Akito..."

Yurika was there before her mother finished the greeting. Poor Akito was standing there with one of those sullen expressions holding a box.

"Come on Akito," happy little Yurika chirped, "lets go wait upstairs for everybody else." She grabbed his hand and dragged him up the stairs into her room. Somewhere along the way Akito dropped the present, which was picked up by Mrs. Misumaru and placed on the buffet in the dining room (the said dining room was next to the entryway/hallway, it was necessary to go through this room on the way to the kitchen).

Yurika giggled as she shut the door to her room.

"Now Akito, we're going to have lots of fun!"

*****

We have to leave them there because Yurika's other guests where arriving.

There was a great slam against the door. Mrs. Misumaru opened it. On the doorstep rubbing her head sat Himeko. Himeko was a little tomboy with short blonde hair. She had tripped over the one step up to the door, and hit her head on the said door.

"Himeko are you okay?" Mrs. Misumaru, while seeming to be non-affectionate, was a very caring person.

"Yeah, thank you. Is this Yurika's?"

Mrs. Misumaru smiled, "Yes it is, and you're just in time. Come on in."

"Thank you." The cute little five-year-old smiled and came in, taking off her shoes at the door. She then ran up the stairs and disappeared.

There came another knock. It was Usagi and Momoko they had come together. Usagi stood with her little blonde pigtails sticking out both ways. Momoko's fluffy pink hair couldn't decide where to go, so it went everywhere.

After the now traditional greeting Usagi started to come in. Except she tripped on the door frame and was hurled forward into the house on her face.

Momoko laughed, "Usagi you say I'm clumsy." She then stepped over the door frame and tripped on the rug just inside the door. She, also, landed on her face.

Mrs. Misumaru would have been more sympathetic if Himeko hadn't done that as well. "Are you alright girls?"

Usagi was wailing, and Momoko was rubbing her head.

Himeko came in; "Oh they always do that. But they only do it cause I do it. An I do it cause some one before me did it and I thought it was a good idea..." She knelt down to Usagi's level, "Come on, they've go lots of stuff to play with."

Usagi whimpered, "Like what?"

"Like, um, toys."

"Really?"

Himeko nodded.

"Come on! Lets go!" Usagi took off her shoes, grabbed Himeko's hand and dragged her up the stairs.

Momoko started to whimper, "Hey, wait for me. You can't leave me here." She started wailing.

There was another knock at the door. Mrs. Misumaru sighed and answered it. This time it was a little girl with red brown hair up in buns. "Hi, I'm Miaka. Is this Yurika's house?"

"Hello, I'm Mrs. Misumaru, Yurika's mother. Come on in."

Miaka successfully stepped over the door frame, over the edge of the rug and took off her shoes. She then tripped over Momoko, who was still siting on the floor crying.

"Waa, that hurt. You dummy why are you sitting on the floor?"

Momoko sniffed and crinkled up her chin, "Well your more dumber than me cause you din't look where you step."

"No I'm not."

Mrs. Misumaru was saved from refereeing by yet another knock on the door. This time a lovely blue hared girl stood there. "You must be Mrs. Misumaru, I'm Umi."

What a delicate flower of childhood. How could such a lady like child be a friend of my little 'bundle of joy'? Mrs. Misumaru's thoughts ran something like that. "Nice to meet you, won't you come in."

"Thank you." She stepped, without mishap, inside, and took off her shoes. She then spotted the other two, quarreling on the floor. Her eyebrows twitched, and with the slightest hint of anger said, "What are you doing there?"

They both looked up into boiling blue eyes.

"Umi san," gasped Momoko, "sorry."

Umi's eye's started boiling, "You two are so weird! Only weird people sit on the welcome mat and fight, so you're both weird."

Miaka stood up and looked into her eyes.

"What?" Umi glared at her.

Miaka started bubbling over, "It's nice to see you too Umi san."

Then came yet another knock. Is this getting repetitive to anyone else?

"Could you three please move off the rug, so that the other guests can take off their shoes."

"Oh, yes, we're so sorry."

Mrs. Misumaru opened the door. Now there were three children outside. Two little boys, and a little girl in in-between. "Come on in."

"I'm Momaru." said one of the boys.

"I'm Sakura." said the girl.

There was a pause, which should have contained an introduction from the third child. Unfortunately none of them knew how unhappy he (it was a he after all) was about leaving his sister for any length of time. It didn't matter that this was a party, he just wanted to be home.

"That's Ran," the girl filled in, "He's quiet."

They stepped inside. Momoko and Miaka immediately fixed their eyes on Momaru. Their eyes became little hearts, and their faces turned bright red, and they started chanting his name.

He looked bewildered for a moment, and then blushed and rubbed the back of his head. "Hi."

"You two are so stupid." Umi had her arms crossed and her eyes closed. "You don't even know if he likes you."

Momoko was resentful, "Well you like him too!"

Umi blushed, and tried to cover her face, "No I don't you dummy."

"Mrs. Misumaru," it was the valued man himself, "I brought these for Yurika." He held up a bouquet of roses.

"Oh how lovely. What a gentleman."

He blushed and rubbed the back of his head.

"I'll put them in some water." Mrs. Misumaru started to exit the room.

Started, but Sakura grabbed her sleeve before she could get out, "Where's Yurika?"

"She should be up in her room with Akito, Himeko, and Usagi."

She looked over at Ran, "Come on, let's go up there and play too."

Ran grunted for affirmation.

*****

Upstairs

Sakura carefully opened the door just a crack and peeked in. Ran leaned over her head and looked in too. There they saw a tea set placed in the center of the room, with Usagi sitting in front of it.

"What're they doing?" Sakura pondered

"Why don't you go in and find out?" Ran pushed the door open all the way and Sakura fell in.

Himeko was in a corner playing with a ball. Usagi was drinking 'tea'. Yurika was trying to feed Akito, who had been tied in a chair.

"Come on, I know you like it. Just open your mouth a little more." Yurika was standing in front of him trying to feed him some candy from a plate.

"But how long have you had that in your room?!" Akito was trying hard not to open his mouth too much, for fear of the dreaded candy being shoved in.

"Since my last party."

Akito groaned.

This was actually an amazing feat of self-restraint for Yurika. She could never keep candy for more than a few minutes, unless the flavor was unfavorable. She claims that she saved it to share with Akito because he loved her. Of course that explains his motives not hers, but after giving this answer it would be impossible to extract any more information from her. It is safe to assume that the true reason is that she had forgotten about it until today.

"You two are so cute together," Usagi giggled over her cup, "just like me and Momaru. Why aren't you playing Himeko?"

"I don't like tea parties." Himeko said from her corner.

"OOOOh can I play too?" Sakura bounced over.

"Sure." Usagi answered, because the hostess was still occupied with her man.

"Come on Akito, just a little bite." Yurika pleaded.

"No!"

"Do it for me, please."

"No, no, NO! Ran doesn't have to, so why should I?"

Sakura was just settling down when she remembered, "Ran that's right." She looked over at the door. "Come on..." He wasn't there.

*****

The living room

All the other guests where playing a board game on the floor. Ran entered and sat down behind Momaru.

"Why aren't you playing with Sakura?" Momaru turned a little.

"It's too scary up there." Ran murmured.

*****

There was a knock at the door. Mrs. Misumaru answered it. This time it was a lovely little red head with pig tails holding a bag.

"I'm Miho."

"Come right in, the other guests are playing in the living room."

"Sorry I'm so late, I had an appointment."

"What's the black box you're carrying?" Mrs. Misumaru tried to sound politely curious instead of just curious.

"Oh, this is my phone. I get lots of calls so my agent said to carry it with me."

"Oh."

*****

"Akito would you please open your mouth."

"I don't wanna eat your candy, it looks icky. Why don't you eat it?"

"If I eat it will you eat it?"

Akito crinkled his nose, "Maybe."

"Okay," she bit off a piece, "see, it's good. Now it's your turn."

"But don't all the other people want some?" Akito had no intention of eating the candy and was trying everything to get out of it.

"Mommy bought lots of candy for them."

"Shouldn't we go down and play with the other guests. When I had a party my Mommy said it was rude to not play with all my guests."

"We'll go play with them after you eat this candy."

"Why do you want me to eat this candy?"

"Because..." she looked puzzled, "because..." that was a tough, and unnecessary question, "because I know you want to eat it!"

"NOOOOOOOOOO!" Unfortunately Akito forgot about opening his mouth too much, and the candy was shoved in.

*****

In living room the game had ended and Umi won. All of the other children, except Miho who was sitting off to the side drawing, were then subjected to Umi's ranting.

Umi laughed maniacally, "See, I won. I always win. I am the best at everything. You all are losers."

Momoko started whimpering.

Momaru patted her shoulder, and tried all those other comforting actions. "Really Umi, you're so mean. Look you made Momoko cry."

"She's always crying. She's just mad that I won not her."

Yurika came in followed by her entourage. Sakura joined the fervent artist, Miho, in the corner. Meanwhile Usagi immediately glomped Momaru. Himeko decided to campaign for the abused rights of Momoko.

*****

AN The events in the next few sections take place simultaneously in different areas of the living room and kitchen, so I divided them all with single staries (*).

*****

Usagi giggled and squeezed Momaru. "There you are, you should've came up and played tea party."

"Can't breath... Help me please!" Poor little Momaru always got all the attention.

"Or," Usagi's face darkened, "were you playing with that other girl." Jealous flames lit her eyes.

Momaru made strangling noises and didn't reply.

Miaka had just noticed Usagi, "Hey! Let Momaru go!"

Usagi glared at her. This was just as she had suspected. She left Momaru for a few minutes and this is what happened. Her true love had been stolen by someone else. "Momaru loves me! So he's my boyfriend, and you can't have him!"

Miaka's eye's started to water. "Momaru is this true? Do you love her?" She ran to the other side of the room, crying.

Her rival, the blonde, was a bit disturbed by her reaction. Usagi was by no mean's a cruel little girl, but she was very possessive. Anyone who touched her man was doomed. She smiled and looked at Momaru, whose eyes had turned into little Xs. Suddenly a shadow was cast over them. "Who's there?"

Ran's emotionless stare was placed on her. "Let him go."

"But Momaru..."

Ran was always an intimidating factor in any social gathering. That's why he was so popular with Akito and Momaru. "Let him go." His steely eyes glinted.

Usagi gulped, "Okay." Momaru was released.

Momaru panted for awhile. Then he looked up at Ran with starry eyes, "Thank you so much Ran. You saved my life. I'll never forget this."

Ran relaxed a little, but didn't smile, "..."

*

As I said before Sakura sat down next to Miho. "Hi Miho chan, when did you get here?"

Miho looked up, "Sakura chan, while you were upstairs. I didn't wanna join the game when everyone else was halfway through, so I'm working on my comic."

"It's good you didn't join the game."

They looked up at Umi and Himeko fighting.

"Yeah I know. I wonder why Yurika invited Umi." Miho was bent forward, with her head five inches from the paper.

"Hmmm..."

Silence

Sakura decided it was time for the demolition of the silence. "Are you drawing that comic about that model?"

"Yeah, Lala, she's so cool."

"Your really good at drawing Miho. All my drawings turn icky."

"Thanks." Miho looked up smiling and blushing.

*

While all this was going on, Akito wandered into the kitchen. "Mrs. Yurika's mom?" He timidly approached Mrs. Misumaru.

She turned away from her work and looked down at her visitor. She gently asked, "Akito, why aren't you playing with everyone else?"

He shifted uncomfortably for a moment, "Well, I really wanna help you cook. Can I?"

How sweet, what an adorable little boy. Mrs. Misumaru thought. "Of course you can." She said aloud.

Akito smiled "Thanks."

"Why don't you pull over a chair and you can help me frost the cake."

*

"Umi you're so mean." Himeko had her arms around Momoko who was still crying.

"You don't know what's going on." Umi did not like her attitude at all, "You just got here. So don't... Don't act so tough."

Yurika the peacemaker stepped in, "Why don't we play something else now?"

"Like what?"

"Um, I'll go ask my mom." Yurika ran into the kitchen and tugged at her mother's shirt. "Mommy, Mommy, Mommy."

"What."

"What can we do now? Is it time to open presents!" Presents, of course, was the only thing on Yurika's mind.

"No, but we're about ready for the cake."

"Then do I get to do presents?"

"Yes."

"Goodie!!!!!" Yurika bounced out of the room to tell everyone. "Come on, get up, it's time to go have cake."

Umi and Himeko's argument was cut off immediately. The room froze for a moment. Then came a stampede to the dining room.

*****

After blowing out the candles, Yurika was more than ready to open her presents, but Mrs. Misumaru said otherwise. She made the birthday girl EAT a piece of cake then WAIT till her friends were done eating. By then the little girl was wriggling in her seat and more than ready to start ripping through the paper.

After all the plates were cleared Mrs. Misumaru reentered the room. "Now who wants to go first."

Everyone shouted at once.

"Okay then, Umi you may go first."

"Why thank you Mrs. Misumaru." Umi got out of her chair and placed her bag in front of Yurika.

Bags were no fun. There was nothing to rip, AND the present inside was almost never wrapped. Yurika pulled a box out of the bag. The box contained a lovely porcelain figurine of a fairy. "Thank you Umi san." She carefully placed the box to the side. Of course she thought it was pretty and everything, but it seemed so... Umi. Nothing she could use with Akito.

Momoko was upset about Umi beating her again, so she went next. She handed a little box to Yurika. The box was tightly wrapped in five layers of paper. Yurika started scratching at it. A few minutes later she was still scratching at it, and her attention span was rapidly running low. "Mommy, help, please!" She panted.

Mrs. Misumaru brought out some scissors and cut through the paper, giving the velvet box back to Yurika. Yurika opened it and found a very pleasant surprise. A ruby ring was sitting on the cushion inside. She took it out and put it on her left ring finger. Akito should have been the one to give it to me, was her only thought. "Thank you Momoko."

"I got another appointment, so can you open mine next?" that was Miho.

She was answered in the affirmative. Yurika got TWO packages to rip through this time. When they were open she had a sketch pad and pen. Memories of drawing Akito and herself playing came back. "Thank you Miho."

Usagi was not happy about Momoko or Umi going before her so she, of course, had to go next. Yurika now had a locket that could be pinned to her cloths.

"An that's the kind that you can put a picture inside." Usagi informed.

"Mommy, can I put Akito's picture inside it?" She looked up at her mother.

"Wouldn't you rather put our family picture inside?"

"No, Akito would be sad if I didn't put his picture inside."

Akito, on the opposite end of the table, was trying hard to ignore this conversation.

"I suppose so."

Himeko went next. This time it was a very simple box, with a simple red ribbon inside it.

Mrs. Misumaru was thrilled, "Oh Yurika, how pretty, it'll match your hair."

"Yeah." Yurika was not particularly excited with this one. She always questioned Himeko's taste, but now she knew for sure. That girl had no fashion sense. "Thank you Hime chan."

"You don't have to open mine."

"But I wanna open yours Miaka."

"Well I'm just saying you don't have to." Secretly Miaka wanted to take the gift she'd brought home. She told her mother to only get Yurika a ball, that way there'd be no jealously problem. But alas, parents never listen. Now she would never have one.

Yurika pulled out her new stuffed animal. It was a gold bird, it looked a mix of a crane and a peacock. She hugged it and smiled. "Thank you Miaka."

Sakura held up her gift proudly and presented it to the birthday girl. Yurika was getting very tired of ripping. So she took the scissors her mom had and cut it open. She stared blankly at the deck of card in front of her.

"I finally collected them all, so I thought you'd want them." Everyone knew that Sakura had this obsession with cards. She would throw them up in the air and try to grab them. No one knew why, and no one could convince her that this was a pointless and ridiculous task. This gift, to Yurika, symbolized that she had 'caught' all the cards, and wouldn't be throwing them up in the air anymore.

"Thank you Sakura."

Ran, emotionlessly, placed his offering in front of Yurika. She politely pulled apart the wrapping paper to reveal a set of dangly earrings. She started undoing the clasp at the back.


Mrs. Misumaru looked, puzzled, at the earrings. "Are these for pierced ears?"

"Yes."

In a flash she saw all the possible things that a little girl, who didn't have pierced ears, could do with a set of earrings. The worst of these things was not loosing them. She took them, gently, out of Yurika's accident-prone fingers. "We'll save these for when you're older."

"Okay, oh yeah, and thank you Ran."

"And Momaru got you some roses."

"I like roses!" she let out a dreamy sigh, "Now I can be the princess of the roses."

"Hm?" Himeko looked up, "Is someone calling me?"

(AN Hime-princess... I think...)

"No."

For the grand finale came Akito, the guest of honor. He presented his contribution to Yurika's happy day, and sat back down. She ripped through the paper, expecting the most fantastic of all gifts to pop out. When it was open she just stared at it for a moment. Her eyes swelled she stood up and 'glomped' poor Akito. "Thank you, thank you, thank you. I always wanted one of those."

*****

While her remaining guests tried to peacefully get through another board game, Yurika dragged Akito back to her room to try out her new makeup kit.



END



AN I did not originally plan on writing this chapter, but my birthday was a few days ago, so I've been in that kind of mood all week.

One more thing. I just saw the movie 'Prince of Darkness,' and I'm even more confused than I was at the end of the series. Is there anyone out there who could answer a few questions? Would you mind if I emailed you?

Disclaimer, the rights to Nadesico are held by Kia Asamiya, Xebec, and ADV. All of which I greatly respect, and have no intention of ripping off. So please don't sue me.