Chapter 16
'and a beginning'
"Touya-kun, are you up?"
Define 'up', Dad. If you mean alert and conscious and ready to interact with my fellow human beings, then no. If you mean awake enough to remember my never-ending despair, then yes, I'm up.
Several naps ago I ran out of steam and left the angry stage. Even after all my practice for so many years, I couldn't keep up the rage forever. Now I've settled comfortably into the desolate and depressed stage, and suspect I will be here for quite some time.
She left me, and I'm all alone. There's no one left now, no one who understands me, no one I can talk to. There'll never be another like her.
"Touya-kun, I don't know if you realize this, but you've been in bed for a week."
I stared at my ceiling and did not reply.
"I know you're going through a rough time right now, but don't forget that school starts in five days. You will be going."
School. How could I ever face those people again, ever bring myself to concentrate on something as trivial as homework? I couldn't. I'll just stay here in bed.
"It's just, I have a conference tomorrow evening. I'd hoped you would have snapped out of it by now, but I guess not. I can't leave Sakura with you when you're like this."
Great. Swell. Don't leave. Don't leave her. Take her with you, even. Leave me alone to wallow in my misery in peace.
"Anyway, I brought up some gelatin from dinner. I just wanted to see if maybe… you wanted to talk about it. Tell me what's on your mind."
Silence was his only answer, and he gave a little sigh.
"Well, I offered."
I heard him turn to go, and spoke up.
"You can leave the dessert." I couldn't see his face, but I knew he cracked a smile at that.
"Of course."
I heard him set it on my desk, then open my door in preparation to leave.
"Listen, Touya. I – I don't know everything that happened between you and – and her. Truthfully, I'm not so sure I want to know. But it's pretty clear that you cared about her a lot. And between you and me, I was afraid you'd never be able to do that again. It's… kind of a relief to know that you do still have emotions."
And with that he left and shut the door behind him. I rolled over to stare at the door after he'd gone, wondering to make of his words.
He sounds almost like her. So you can… What was this entire past year to her? Nothing but some kind of project to remind me how to love? Was that all I was to her? Some kind of mission?
If so, then why? Why me?
I buried my face in my pillow. That I would probably never know. All I did know was that I felt used and betrayed. I was broken, hollow, incapable of rational thought at this point.
She left me. Why? Why? Why?
- - - - - - -
Like every other day, I slipped in and out sleep over the course of the hours. I vaguely remember watching the sun set, then I guess I must have faded out again. Next time I woke up, the moonlight was streaming in through my window.
Weird, the way she'd been looking at the moon on that night. And that comment she'd made out back after the dance, about not interrupting.
I remembered my dream as I crawled out of bed and placed my hands against the glass of the window. There had been something important about the moon there, too. Why? It's just a hunk of rock, a natural satellite for the earth. There's nothing special about it.
It was on its way to three-quarters now, in the process of waning. Going back to crescent, then new moon, then back again. It never stopped. Always waxing and waning, going down and then up. I'd never once worried that it would be stuck in the new moon phase. It always returned, always grew to full moon again.
I uttered a small groan in the back of my throat as my thoughts wandered. I couldn't even look at the damn thing without subconsciously lecturing myself. I could almost hear her in my mind, smiling and offering her sage advice.
"You're gone now," I muttered darkly. "I don't have to listen to your sanctimonious lectures anymore. If I want to live in depression, then that is what I will do."
I shut the blinds tight, darkening the room considerably, and threw myself on top of the covers again, willing sleep to return.
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"Get off."
She was crawling onto me now, sitting on my back.
"I know it doesn't hurt."
"It does. You weigh too much to do that. You're a heavy monster."
"I am not!" She bounced a little to enforce her words, drawing another groan from my lips.
"Go away, Sakura. Go bother Dad."
"Dad just left to go to his conference," she said impatiently. "And he said that if you were still in bed by the afternoon that I should come into your room and sit on you until you get up."
"Did he now?"
I rolled over and she tumbled with a shriek off the bed.
"Ouch! That hurt!"
"Serves you right. Now go away and leave me alone."
"No! We don't have any food for dinner and Dad said you would have to go shopping at the market today."
Nice, Dad. I'm sure you could have done that before you left. It's going to take more than that to get me out of bed.
Eric Clapton was cut off mid-wail, and I rolled back the other way to face her.
"Get away from my stereo."
"You've been listening to the same song over and over all week," she complained. "I can hear it in my bedroom. I'm tired of it! Put something new on, please?"
"No." I picked up my remote control and pressed Play again, and she pressed Stop again. Then she turned the whole thing off. "You're going to regret that, kiddo."
She paid no attention and returned to my bed, crawling back on.
"Stop it. Get off."
"Onii-chan, you're always in bed."
"That's right. And I'm not getting out." She bit her lip, and tears welled up in her green eyes. "What now?"
"Mom was always in bed too. Are you going to go away like she did?"
She was clambering onto my stomach now, looking worriedly at me, and at first I was too surprised to say anything.
"It's different, Sakura. I'm not sick."
"Then why are you in bed?"
"Because… I just can't face the thought of getting up again. The world is a horrible cruel place, and it hates me. There, happy?"
She couldn't really understand what I was talking about, of course, and a tear escaped to trickle down her cheek.
"Would you keep it from me if you were sick?"
"No. Why would you think I would do that?"
"You said Mom wasn't sick either," she cried. "I remember it!"
"I know, Sakura, but it was because I didn't know any better. I swear to you, I am not sick."
"I don't believe you! You're in bed just like she was! You're going to go to Heaven too!" And with that she slithered off me and down to the floor again. I made a grab for her wrist but wasn't quick enough, and soon she was out the door.
"Sakura, get back here!"
Her footsteps thudded down the stairs, then I heard the front door slam. I groaned aloud as I sat up. There was nothing for it. I was going to have to prove to her that I was not sick.
"I'm not doing this because I'm ready to," I said firmly to my empty room. "I just can't stand watching her cry. She's so pathetic when she gets teary."
Quickly I pulled on a pair of jeans, fumbling a little with lack of practice.
"Sakura, wait!" I ran downstairs and threw myself out the front door, squinting in the bright light. Hot August air hit me in a wave, and I almost slumped against the doorframe.
"Squirt!" I called out. "Hey, hold on!"
"Don't call me that!" Her rollerblades were on and she'd been about to set out from the driveway, but she screeched to an abrupt halt at my voice. "You got out of bed!"
"I told you I wasn't sick."
I attempted a grin, then gave it up. Her eyes were fiercely hopeful. "And you'll come to the market?"
"Yes, I'll go to the stupid market. Let me go put on a shirt and I'll be right out."
Her whole face lit up. She must have been really worried.
"Yay!"
I can't believe I let her manipulate me into this. I'm pathetic.
Lost in my despondent gloom, I stuffed my hands into my pockets and shuffled along as she skated slowly by my side. Occasionally she would skate ahead and practice skating backward. She really was getting better, but when she asked me to watch I just grunted and looked away.
This had definitely been a mistake, coming outside into the world. Everywhere I looked, people were enjoying the last days of summer vacation. Children were scurrying off to the pool, skipping rope, or lounging about and sipping lemonade. A car full of laughing teenagers roared past us on the road, and I was consumed with loathing for its occupants. How dare they be so happy and full of life? Why was it so easy for everyone else my age, but not for me? Was there nothing that could give me happiness?
"We're here! What are we going to have for dinner tonight?"
"I dunno. Whatever you want, I guess."
"Okay! Let's go look!" She knelt to replace her rollerblades with her shoes and scurried into the crowd. Through a haze I stumbled after her. The weekend market was more of a social gathering in this town than anything else, and people were all around. Booths had been erected haphazardly in the shadow of the grocery store, some underneath the shade of scaffolding. From the looks of things, they were replacing the sign. Things were growing, changing, improving. Everywhere people were buying their fresh produce in preparation for dinner, happy conversation and good moods battering at my ears. I was an island in this ocean, an oasis of darkness that the warm August sun couldn't touch.
No one could understand this pain. Even Dad was better off; at least he knew Mom loved him. Kaho didn't love me. She said she did, but she obviously didn't. She was planning to leave Japan the whole time, planning to leave me. She didn't even try to prepare me, she just up and left. How could she leave me like that? Didn't she know what it would do to me? She was everything, and now I've been cast aside like a wilted flower. I never meant anything to her. Otherwise she would have been more honest with me. She wouldn't have kept all those things from me, she wouldn't have teased me and led me on. She would have taken me to see where she lived! I gave her all of me, and she gave nothing of herself.
Even a pebble tossed in a lake makes a few ripples. I never touched her. Not even a little bit.
Suddenly I was dying for a cigarette, but I could hardly light up right in front of Sakura. Maybe I could slip away – except now I couldn't even see where she'd gone. Where was she?
"Sakura?"
I only took my eyes off her a minute! Damn it, how does she do that? We were just here to buy food, for crying out loud.
"Sakura, where are you?"
I could see no sign of her in this throng of people, and a sudden charge of fear swept through me, wiping away all my self-pity. Had I lost her? After everything, after my promise to Mom, and my worries about Ryu, had I gone and lost her anyway?
"Sakura!"
A few people looked in my direction, but I paid no attention to their stares as I began to walk a little more quickly, scanning fruitlessly. There were plenty of people in a place like this that would just love to pick up a helpless girl. How could I have been so stupid? How could I have taken my attention off of her, just to mope about my girlfriend? Ex-girlfriend, that is.
I lost her. I must have been born to lose women. First my mom, then her, now my sister. I'll never love again. Never trust a woman again. Never give anything of myself, anymore. It's a cruel and capricious sex, the female. I hate them all.
Except for Sakura. I have to find her. Astonishingly, my eyes were already beginning to burn with unshed tears. A whole week of lying in bed after the breakup and I hadn't cried once until now. What is it about my sister? Am I so completely and hopelessly dependent on her? What would my life be like without her smiles and happy green eyes?
"Sakura!"
I choked back a sob, sure that it was hopeless. I'd lost her, someone had taken her away and I would never see her again. My little baby sister. She was all I had left.
"Sakura!"
"Excuse me." I jumped in surprise, but it was just someone tapping me on the shoulder. "Are you looking for her?" He pointed up, and I followed his gaze until I saw her. Unbelievably enough, she'd decided that she needed to practice her gymnastics on the aluminum bars of the scaffolding above us. No one had even noticed her swinging by her knees.
"Sakura, what do you think you're doing?" I shouted, anger overcoming relief now that I'd seen her.
"Practicing, of course. This looked like so much fun!"
"Sakura, that's construction equipment, not a gymnasium. Get down here now!"
She gave a lengthy sigh and started to pull herself up. But I guess the bar had become a little more slippery with her sweat, or something, because she lost her balance and almost fell right off.
I almost had a heart attack, but she caught herself with one hand just in time, uttering a short yelp.
"Help me, Onii-chan!"
"Just let go." I stepped closer and held out my arms, forcing myself to breathe deeply and smile for her benefit. But I could see my hands were shaking violently, and it was bound to get worse. All around me I could hear the conversations coming to a halt as more people started looking our way. Probably wondering how someone could be so irresponsible as to let a little girl climb way up there.
"I'll catch you."
"It's too high!"
"No it's not." I was maybe five feet underneath her dangling tennis shoes. "If you'll tuck yourself in like I taught you for gymnastics. Remember?"
She whimpered an affirmative but did not let go.
"I'm scared!"
"I know. It's okay. But I will catch you, Sakura. I will always be here to catch you." She looked down from her great height and met my eyes. It was taking everything in my willpower to keep my breathing light and steady, and I gave her the most comforting look I could manage.
"On three. One, two…" She released her hold and plummeted downwards, and with a grunt I managed to catch her in my arms. I almost fell myself with the sudden weight, but I was strong enough to keep upright. All around, people burst into spontaneous applause as I knelt down on the ground and stood her on her own two feet.
"Don't ever ever ever ever do that again!" I said frantically, hugging her close. "You scared me!" So much for pretending to be brave for her. "Are you okay? Are you hurt anywhere?"
Silently she shook her head as I ran my hands over her, checking to make sure. She looked fine, now that it was over, but her face was a little devoid of color and I knew she'd had a good scare.
"Gomen nesai," I whispered.
"For what?""Nothing." It was all my fault that she'd got into such danger, but there was no way to explain. "But I'm sorry."
I kissed her gratefully on her forehead, and she squeezed me in a brief hug.
"Guess everything worked out okay," someone said cheerfully, and I saw the guy that had first pointed her out to me was standing to one side. "She's lucky to have a brother like you."
Unwilling to let go of her, I stood with her in my arms, settling her on my hip.
"Arigatou. I wouldn't have found her if weren't for you."
"I'm sure you would have seen her soon enough." He gave me a confident grin, and I was a little startled to realize that I was smiling in response. It had been so long since I smiled, I'd almost forgotten what it felt like. But there was something in his manner that made a smile just seem natural.
"Do you go to Seijou?" I nodded. "Me too. Or I will in a week, I guess. We just moved to this town. I'm in ninth."
"Same here," I said automatically. I hadn't taken the time to notice before, but there was something – more to this one. It was so difficult to see now; all of my sureness had gone when she left. But there was just something different looking about him. His hair was really pale, almost sparkling silver in the bright sunlight. It was a little unworldly. But the brown eyes behind his glasses were warm and sincere. Almost as tall as me, but completely devoid of anything like aggression or belligerence like Ryu. I got the impression that this guy had never gotten in a fight in his entire life. He was leaning over slightly now, smiling at the silent girl in my arms.
"And how old are you?"
There was no reply, and I looked down to see her staring wide-eyed at this new arrival, her thumb in her mouth. She hadn't done that in years, and I pulled it out.
"Stop that, Sakura. Are you sure you're all right?"
She nodded, her eyes never leaving his face. Already she seemed to have forgotten her mishap, and for that at least, I was grateful to him.
"Sakura?" he repeated. "That's a very beautiful name."
Inexplicably, her cheeks turned bright pink, and I felt a flicker of jealousy.
"Monster is a little more accurate," I said to cover up the silence. "Or squirt, or shrimp. Take your pick."
"Onii-chan!" she squealed, and kicked me as best she could from her position. He just laughed. There was a nice sound in his laugh. He sounded carefree, untroubled.
"I think I'll just stick to Sakura-chan, if that's all right." She nodded enthusiastically, and he straightened and extended his hand. "Toya, right?"
"Right."
Feeling a trifle dazed, I took his hand and shook it.
"Tsukishiro Yukito."
"Yukito," I repeated stupidly, aware that that smile was still on my face.
"Right," he said again, then looked down to see our hands were still in one another's. Quickly I let go, and he took a couple steps back. "Well, guess I should get back to shopping. See you at school next week."
"Yeah. Um, thanks again for your help." I looked down at Sakura; she was sucking on her thumb again as she watched him go. Dimly I remembered that I had been feeling very depressed a little while ago, but already it seemed so remote. I had wallowed in misery enough. Maybe it was time to get on with life.
My eyes fell on the grocery bag I'd dropped on the ground, still waiting to be filled.
"Hey." He immediately turned back.
"Yeah?"
"Would you… like to have dinner with us? It's just me and my sister tonight. I can, uh, fill you in on Seijou."
He was already nodding before I'd even finished. "I was going to be on my own tonight too. That would be great."
"Great."
He came over for dinner that night. We talked for hours.
And that night, I began to get over her.
- - - - - -
I realized I'd forgotten to exhale and let out my breath explosively. That entire crazy period of my life, those fifteen-plus months – it had flashed through my mind in the space of a heartbeat. I blinked, blinked again, but there was no mistake. She was still standing there in front of me, her eyes twinkling with amusement like that first day in our classroom. She does delight in doing this to me.
Somehow, I managed to choke out her name. It came out as hardly more than a whisper, which was just as well since Sakura was standing right there and looking at us. She leaned in slightly and whispered.
"You've grown, Touya."
You've grown? That's all you have to say, after everything that happened? After everything that went on between us and after you just turned around and left me – 'you've grown'?
I was still too stunned to say or do anything, or even form coherent thought. Before I could blurt out a question, one of Sakura's friends let out a strangled cry.
"Oh!" Everyone turned to look except me. I couldn't take my eyes off her face. How could – how could she be here? What is she doing here? She said she'd come back but I never really believed her! It's been over a year!
What are you doing here? I demanded, but she wasn't even looking in my direction now. Both Sakura and her friend were staring mournfully at the closed and empty stand.
"The charms…"
"They're closed!"
"Here you go." Both girls turned to see her holding out two lucky red charms.
"Arigatou!" they both shouted joyfully and took them.
"Those are what you wanted, right?" Sakura looked perplexed, something I could readily identify with.
"How did you know? We didn't say any -"
"Just a feeling."
You must really love using that line, I accused. She still didn't look up, but I thought I saw her try to repress a smile.
I was still getting a grip on myself as we gathered under the arch. Damn her. She was just standing there calmly, looking around as if there were nothing at all out of the ordinary about tonight. How could she just stand there? She wasn't responding at all to my mental shouts that she explain herself, and I caught myself wondering if she could even hear me anymore. Maybe I couldn't hear her either. Was the connection completely lost?
A fancy black car rolled up, and that camera nut – who would have guessed that she was Sonomi's kid? – got in, waving her goodbyes.
It all seems so long ago now, when I look back on it. So much has happened since she walked out of my life; things are so different now. The atmosphere in the house is much easier, Dad and I get along fine now. I still see Aki in the halls occasionally, though not as much as I used to. He and Kei have been a couple now for half a year or so, and he devotes a lot of time to her. She looks a lot happier these days. I never did see Ryu again, though there are times when I'm convinced he's come back to haunt me in the form of a ten year-old Chinese boy. He was leaning in close now, saying something to Sakura, and I stiffened slightly. But he made no sudden moves, just walked away, his girlfriend hurrying to catch up.
Then it was just Sakura left, and she turned to face the two of us.
"Ja ne, Kinomoto-san." She gave my sister a little wave, then glanced over her shoulder at me. "See you later, Touya."
I could not bring myself to say anything to her, but she didn't seem to be expecting it. Instead she just turned and began to saunter away, disappearing slowly into the darkness of the shrine like she had that very first night.
"Onii-chan?" My sister was at my elbow, looking up at me curiously. "Do you know Mizuki-sensei?"
Do I know her? Sakura, how can you ask that? Surely you remember –
No. They never met. She and my dad met all right, but that night at the open house Sakura got lost and wasn't there. There was that one time at the game, but no, Sakura was practically upside down under my arm and wasn't looking up. She wasn't paying any attention at the summer festival either, when we met. Sakura never saw her.
Coincidence? A chill went up and down my spine as I stared at the retreating form of my old teacher. No, I knew damn well it was no coincidence. She'd engineered that like she had everything else, designing it to suit her needs. The resurgence of memories had triggered one other insight.
It was after the fight with Ryu. That horrible night when I realized it was love I felt for my sister and not fear or envy. That was the night when she knew she was done here. That was the night that she began to plan her departure. That was what she was waiting for, the whole time.
Very faintly, almost indistinguishable from the whispering sigh of the leaves, the chime of a bell resonated throughout the shrine.
The sorceress. She had returned, and this time it was for Sakura. I knew it as sure as I breathed, knew that it had to do with everything strange lately. My sister's odd behavior, that mysterious stuffed animal in her room, the way that Chinese kid was always hanging around her, and my own paranormal experience in the forest a week ago. My abilities have been getting stronger again, since I finally saw Mom again last spring. It's all connected; I know it. And it all has something to do with Sakura.
She fidgeted a little as I gave her a sharp glance, but didn't say anything. I looked back at the shrine that was once so familiar and welcoming, but Kaho was completely gone. Always shrouded in mysteries, always so secretive. It was what had always bothered me most before, both when we were together and after she left. But I hadn't forgotten her words underneath that tree, how she said I would find someone else that I could love more. I hadn't believed, I wouldn't have ever thought it.
But she had been right.
I glanced up at the moon overhead.
Oh, how she had been right.
THE END
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Disclaimer: I do not own these characters
Peacewish: Well, except for Kei, Aki, and Ryu. And don't you forget it.
Touya: And the music for this chapter?
Peacewish: There was none. See, the point where you met Yukito was when you stopped dwelling on how music was the only thing that understood you. Cool, huh?
Touya: You put me through hell. I resent that.
Peacewish: C'mon, we all knew I was gonna do it. I've said it before, and I'll say it again: the true hero is the one that suffers the most. At least this time you weren't physically tortured.
Touya: Maybe so, but I live in fear of chapter 7 now. There's never been one yet where something particularly horrible didn't happen to me!
Peacewish: Poor baby. Do you want a hug?
Touya: Nice try.
Peacewish: Damn. Well, I suppose I should get around to the part where I yak about the inspiration for the story. Surprisingly, politics had very little to do with it.
All: YAY!!
Peacewish: Hush. I was watching the Return Card episode and decided that there was a whole story there that we just barely had a glimmer of, and that I wanted to explore Touya's motivations a little more. Get to the why and wherefore. Plus I just wanted to do another story that featured him.
Li: How utterly shocking.
Peacewish: Li, there you are. You've been awfully quiet.
Li: What do you expect, from someone that wasn't even in the story?
Peacewish: You were in the last scene.
Li: Whoopty-doo.
Touya: (says nothing, but smirks loudly in Li's direction)
Li: Stop that. Stop smirking!
Touya: Hey, I earned it. I'm the one that had to suffer everything in this story!
Peacewish: Too true, my love. Now let's get to it. Obviously, I took the meeting and breakup scenes from the Return Card episode, with maybe just a little tweaking of the dialogue to suit my full length plot. Artistic license.
Li: And now she thinks she's an artist?
Peacewish: Their ability to communicate mentally was hinted at in the Cloud Card episode. I just expanded it a little. Upon watching the first episode again recently, I realized that the shelves down in the basement are metal assembly frames and not wooden, but the image of Touya doing construction down in the basement (shirtless, of course) was too delicious to give up.
Touya: (whimpers and buries face in hands)
Peacewish: The conversation that Touya had with his little sister about their mother's current location was taken from the dialogue of episode #16: Sakura and the Rainbow of Memories. Also from that I took the suggestion that Nadeshiko was fond of rainbows, and the relationship between her and her grandfather. I found it interesting that in that episode, the great-grandfather apparently had no interest in meeting his great-grandson, only Sakura. Ditto for Sonomi only wanting to talk with Sakura, always gushing on about how much she looked like her mother. I figured the two of them were only interested in Sakura because she resembled Nadeshiko so much, and Touya just reminded them of why they didn't like Fujitaka.
Touya: I did not enjoy that part of the story so much.
Peacewish: I basically made that whole story up in chapter 11, but it was taken from all the cues in episode #10: Sakura and the Sport's Day of Flowers. I figured it was pretty obvious that Touya had to be an accident – I mean, who has a kid on purpose at 17? I also think it was obvious from Sonomi's tone – "She always said she would name her daughter Sakura if she had one." – that she had no idea Nadeshiko had a daughter until she met Sakura that day. What's more, I wondered why it was that Touya knew the whole story of his mother and Sonomi's relationship and Sakura was totally clueless. There had to be some reason that he'd stumbled onto the story.
Touya: Jeez, somebody's getting into this.
Peacewish: Sniff, sniff. It has nothing at all to do with the fact that I myself am an accidental product of a marriage that only lasted a year anyway… it's okay… I've dealt with it and moved on… Wah!
Sakura: Poor thing.
Peacewish: No, I'm okay, honestly. I could use a hug, though. Touya, take off your shirt and give me one.
Touya: You make me feel like a piece of meat.
Peacewish: Yeah, but you're a sexy piece of meat. Wasn't that a great scene when you danced with Kei in the gym? Incidentally, the Yoko that Aki was referring to was the same Yoko from episode #14: Sakura, Touya, and Cinderella, in case you wondered.
Touya: Curiously enough, no, I wasn't wondering. All those girls look the same.
Peacewish: Touya playing the organ with his mother was something that I took from Sakura and the Calendar of Memories, third season. It's not out on DVD yet, so I haven't seen it; only read summaries. So if I got any details wrong there, that's why. The final scene was taken from the last few minutes of episode #26: Sakura and the Wonderful Teacher, from that moment where he first sees his old teacher again and freezes up. The paranormal experience he's referring to is his encounter with the Mirror Card in episode #25. Finally seeing his mother again was the final scene from episode #6: Sakura and the Memory of Her Mother.
Touya: Aha! In the dialogue of that episode I told Yuki that I'd stopped seeing her by the time junior high started.
Peacewish: Yes, that's another slight bend from the rules. I thought my way was more dramatic. And doesn't it just make you appreciate that moment in episode 6 all the more? Touya looked so relieved to see her.
Touya: Hmph. And what about the end of the Cloud Card episode when I casually mention to Dad that Mom showed up and helped heal Sakura? He took it well enough then.
Peacewish: Good point. I figure, there's a world of difference between screaming at one's dead mother, and saying that she helped Sakura recover from an illness. And perhaps the conversation between Touya and Sakura about where their mother is (which Fujitaka was eavesdropping on in chapter 8) helped convince him that Touya never meant ill will with his 'imagination'.
Li: Are we through yet?
Peacewish: And finally, I think I may have screwed up a little on the exact ages of everyone at this time in the story. But it's close enough. And yes, I know that Sakura first met Yukito when he came home from school with Touya, but that just didn't seem to be the right climax for the story. I like my ending better. So there, Clamp!
Li: Oh boy, is she ever going to get sued.
Peacewish: Good luck to them. Thanks to the IRS, I have now maybe a total of fifty dollars in my bank account. I hate you, government!
Touya: And there it is. We all knew she couldn't refrain from getting it in somewhere.
Peacewish: You'd be mad too, if they took 2000 from you.
Li: Ouch.
Peacewish: Tell me about it, moneybags. You want to kick in for any of that?
Li: Well, maybe if I was your favorite character… but since I'm not, why don't you just ask Touya for the money?
Touya: Please. I just got fired from another job again; it's not likely that I'm rolling in it.
Peacewish: That's okay, baby, I love you anyway. I'll just not eat or something. There's got to be some way to save money. Meanwhile, I intend to drown my sorrows into writing another story. This one will be super political, so that I can vent all my frustration and work out my bitterness in a healthy fashion.
Li: And we're all looking forward to that ever so much.
Peacewish: Maybe you'll wipe that sarcastic look off your face when I tell you that you'll have a much bigger part in this one.
Li: Ooh!
Peacewish: That's what I thought. You will have a bigger part, demo, you won't be starring in it.
Li: Damn.
Peacewish: Whine, whine. This one's going to Meilin, since I've been neglecting her, and I feel bad about it.
Meilin: No kidding! I'm either dead or nonexistent in all of them!
Peacewish: I know, and I really am sorry. But I'm going to fix that, I swear. There's just one tiny little problem, and that's the fact that I cannot write faster than everyone out there can read. I've been putting out stories that I finished weeks earlier, but now I've run out and I'm only up to chapter three of this latest story. And I've got writer's block. So it might be a while. Like, six to eight weeks.
Meilin: Wah! I'll never be able to wait that long!
Peacewish: Sure you will, once you see how good you get it in my story. I'm fed up with all those fics that just put Meilin through some angsty soliloquy, and never give her a chance to make something of herself. I'm gonna fix that… as soon as I overcome this writer's block.
Meilin: Please hurry – oh, and wait a second. Does this mean that I have to star in a political story?
Peacewish: It's more fun than it sounds, I swear.
Li: Don't listen to her, Meilin! It's pure torture! Torture, I tell you-mmf.
Peacewish: As all-powerful author, I have the ability to gag him whenever I like. Handy, huh?
Touya: I'll say.
Peacewish: So that's it, to all of you out there in Readerland. I'm done for the moment, and probably won't have anything up until December – maybe even later. I would like to take a moment to thank all those that have been so kind in reviewing my pitiful six fanfics. (clears throat and takes a deep breath)
Lynk, Vulpix, Kounoko, pinklover, setsuna, girlsport17, kawaii-kitty, swtkandiesakura, silver-cherry, rahai, faoiltiama, NET, ssk22, sheryl v, chibi star, mecha-griever, klarisa, violet karuto (no, I'm not a secretly famous writer, but we all have our little daydreams), riley s, white tiger, chbiookamigirl, sailorjamie, ana nunes, mimighost, the blood and gore, grace yang, cherryblossom576, missy2005 (yes, I did make up the world in Sun and Moon, but most of the descriptions I swiped from 'Escaflowne' and 'Masters of the Universe'), lilcutemunchkin, ccsfan, ruby moon, blue wind sinia, green eyed lilys daughter, ccsfanatic, seyenaidni, samokin, mbeinotnadle, wezl, alita, saki, sakura-ang31, sakuraange0320, jacks, 2kz, elle, summer, sammy, ryanne, witty-sun, ali, L-chan, fuu, angelness, who cares, nissa-chan, cakkie, silvermoon maru, sujakata, yume, cherryz angel, patty, masterofwords, starquestor, loper, jared, conenjo pedro, bil, midnightoasis, smileygirl322, kawaiired, angel, icefire, mystic, magda, reach, hikari angel, and jaid skywalker.
Li: She's turning blue.
Peacewish: I would also like to take the time to thank those that always, ALWAYS, took the time to write a nice review and have stuck with me from the very beginning since Heir to the Kingdom. Those are silverg3r, Monique, Sakura Rain, Fruity Write-chic, Kero-chan, and the frustratingly anonymous Just Reading. Ongaku and Kitty Neko have been wonderful, even asking me to post my stories on their own website. Also thanks go to Eclipse for painstakingly posting a review for every single chapter even if she (he?) could read the whole sTouya in one shot. Gratitude for J.G. in recognizing my pathetic attempts at humor in LG and H to the K. Mucho appreciation for Odd World in understanding my characterization of Tomoyo in Behind the Camera. And of course, a big thank you to Becky for showering me with wonderful reviews in Scattered Blossoms. Bless TamChronin for her thoughtful and insightful reviews; she also wants to be a writer and understands the difficulty in finding just the right way to say things. She's one of the best out there that I've ever read on , and I lap up her praise like a thirsty dog. (I'll take that kickback in small unmarked bills now, Tam).
That's everyone, I think, and if I missed anyone then gomen nesai. I will see you all again in December, I hope.
CCS forever!!