Disclaimer: Tasuki and Amiboshi aren't mine, but I wish they were. As I'm sure most of us do. Ayame, Ruri and Kohana are mine.
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A few days passed since Amiboshi had healed Mrs. Sakamoto. She picked up her life right where she left it. Ruri wished she could tell her mother what happened, but there was no way her mother would have believed it.
It was a lazy Sunday afternoon when Ayame and Ruri took Kohana out shoe shopping. They were downtown heading from one store to the next. Kohana was pretty picky about the type of shoes she wanted.
Ayame laced up another pair of shoes for Kohana to try while Ruri brought over two more pairs in Kohana's size.
"Do you like either of these?"
"That one's okay. That one, no way." She looked at the shoes Ayame just tied on. "I don't like these either."
Ayame sighed. "How many pairs of shoes do we have to go through for you? We've been through most of the stores in the downtown area!"
"Well, I want good shoes!" Kohana stuck her tongue out.
Ruri dropped the boxes on the floor. "Man I can't remember the last time I spent this much time looking at shoes. I don't know if it ever took me this long to find a pair for shoes."
Kohana just wrinkled her nose.
"Come on. There're a few more stores we still have to look at." Ayame tied up Kohana's old shoes and took her hand.
As they walked towards the next store, Ayame saw familiar bright red hair. She smiled when the he looked over at her and smiled. It was of course Tasuki. Amiboshi was walking next to him.
Kohana smiled when she saw Tasuki and ran up to him. "Tas-kun!"
He picked her up. "Hi Kohana."
"Hi Tasuki." Ayame kissed him on the cheek.
"Hey."
Amiboshi smiled at Ruri. "How's your mom?"
"Better than ever thanks to you." She kissed him on the cheek.
He blushed. Kohana giggled.
"So why are you girls out today?" Tasuki put Kohana up on his shoulder.
"We're looking for shoes for Kohana. Been to most of the stores around. She doesn't like anything."
"I liked a couple. I just didn't like 'em enough." She stuck out her tongue.
"I bet we could find something for you somewhere." Tasuki took Ayame's hand and they went to the next store.
"Don't they make a cute little family?" Ruri smiled as she and Amiboshi followed them.
"Yeah. And I gotta say, it's weird seeing Tasuki with a girl."
"Is Tasuki the seishi that didn't like women?"
"Yep."
"Well, Ayame and Kohana will do that to a guy."
"Well, I like seeing him like this. He just seems…I dunno…happier."
"You guys are better friends than you tend to think."
"Maybe we are. Our history in the book doesn't seem to matter so much any more. Don't know why…"
"It just is. Don't question." Ruri cast a glance at him.
He nodded. "I guess so."
It didn't take too long for Kohana to pick out some shoes since Tasuki joined them. Ruri was a little annoyed because the shoes she ended up getting weren't all that different from a pair they had found 3 stores ago. Ayame laughed and told her to let it go. There was no telling what little differences in something would make a little kid like it.
When the shoes were all paid for, they headed back outside. The five of them just decided to walk around for a little while.
They stopped for a moment in front of an electronics store. Tasuki wanted to look at a new stereo for his car. Ayame and Amiboshi didn't see anything wrong with his current one. Ruri told him to get trunk speakers. Ayame gave her a funny look.
"You're obsessed with loud things, you know that?"
"If I'm gonna listen to music, I think it should be loud. What can I say?"
"I agree with Ruri. The louder the better." Tasuki grinned.
"Now that's what I'm talking about. Tasuki agrees with me."
"You'll both be deaf by the time you're 25 or earlier." Amiboshi rolled his eyes.
Pretty soon they were all arguing about the speakers. Kohana didn't find anything interesting about it. She began looking for something more entertaining.
"Meow." A light brown kitten with a white tail tip and paws brushed up against her.
"Hi kitty!" She scratched its ears. It had a collar with a tag. So why wasn't it with it's owner?
It purred in response and flicked its tail back and forth.
"Pretty kitty." She giggled and petted it some more.
It began to walk away.
"Wait up kitty!" She followed it, forgetting about her sister and the others. "Where ya goin'?"
It flicked its tail and kept walking. She followed it up the block.
It walked into the middle of the street. The light was still red so it wasn't in any danger. Kohana walk over to the kitten and picked it up. "You shouldn't go in the street kitty. You could get hurt. Come on kitty. Maybe ne-chan will let me keep you."
The kitten wasn't paying attention to her though. It was looking down the street. Kohana followed the eye path of the kitten. She saw what the kitten saw. There was a car coming down the street, way over the speed limit and looking as if it had no intention of stopping.
The driver started honking at her. Fear paralyzed her legs. She wanted to move, but she couldn't. She screamed.
Kohana's cry made Ayame look up. She stared up the street. "KOHANA!!!!!!" She went white faced and looked as though she's faint.
Amiboshi and Ruri saw Kohana in the street too. Amiboshi turned to look at Tasuki, but he wasn't there. Amiboshi looked up the sidewalk. He caught a glimpse of a red steak heading for Kohana. He looked worried as the thought crossed his mind that even Tasuki wouldn't be fast enough.
Ayame watched in fear and confusion when she noticed Tasuki was gone. She didn't know what was going on. She just though she was going to loose the last family member she had.
Kohana squeezed her eyes shut and waited for the car. The kitten could have jumped out of her arms, but it didn't. It curled up against her. She never felt cold metal hit her body though.
She felt something strong and warm holding her. She didn't want to open her eyes though. She was scared that she only thought she was safe.
"Kohana…" The person holding her shook her gently. "Kohana, open your eyes. It's okay."
She opened one eye. She wasn't in the street. She saw some tire tracks on the street and the car about half a block away. It crashed into some garbage bins on the side of the road. People were yelling at him for almost hitting a small child and the police already had him. Now it was more of a case of keeping the speed freak safe from the angry crowd.
The kitten in her arms licked her face. She opened her other eye and looked up. Tasuki was holding her safe and close. She let the kitten go and started to cry. Every so often she would hiccup. She clung to his jacket. He cradled her.
"It's alright, Kohana. You're okay." He stared down at the kitten, wondering why it didn't jump away from Kohana in the street or now. He didn't like it much. It had been the reason from Kohana's near death experience.
"Kohana! Tasuki!" Ayame had run across the street and was almost up to them. She was still pale. "Tasuki! What…what was that? How'd you do that?"
He tried to pry Kohana's fingers off his jacket so he could give her to Ayame, but she wouldn't let go. "It…well…it was what I used to be able to do as a seishi." He looked into her eyes.
She was quiet for a moment. What had Ruri told her about Tasuki and Amiboshi's powers? Something about getting to use them one more time right? "Wasn't…wasn't that the last time or something like that?"
"Did Amiboshi tell you?"
"He told Ruri, Ruri told me…did you really just use your power to save her?"
He nodded. "Of course."
She wasn't sure what to say. He wrapped one arm around her and kept Kohana close with the other. He rested his chin on her head. "Come on. Let's get you two home."
She nodded.
Amiboshi and Ruri watched from a few feet away. Ruri swallowed hard. "Wow…"
"I'll say."
Ruri looked down and saw the kitten staring at Kohana, Ayame and Tasuki. She glared at it. "Get away." She hissed. She thought the kitten was trouble.
It looked up at Ruri, almost apologetically, as if it never wanted to put Kohana in danger. It was an accident.
Ruri gave the kitten a funny look, now unsure of what to think of it. Tasuki began walking with the girls. Amiboshi and Ruri followed.
The walk home was pretty quiet. The occasional hiccup from Kohana as she calmed down and the crinkle of the bag Ruri held with Kohana's shoes were the only sounds that accompanied them.
Tasuki opened the door and took Kohana and Ayame inside. Ruri was about to close the door behind them when she saw the kitten.
"Stupid cat. It's still here."
Kohana looked up. "Can I keep it?"
Everyone looked at her.
"You want to keep a cat that almost got you killed?" Ayame blinked.
"She didn't mean to. It was an accident." Kohana finally let go of Tasuki's jacket, leaving creases in the leather where she'd been holding on.
"How would you know?" Amiboshi picked up the kitten and looked at the tag.
"I just know."
"It belongs to someone else. Someone on the other side of town." Amiboshi found the address.
"But I want it!"
"Kohana, we'll call around, see if anyone knows anything. We do have to try and find the owner. If no one claims it, I guess we can keep her." Ayame didn't know how Kohana figured the kitten was a girl, but she didn't want to call the kitten 'it' either.
Kohana smiled. "Thank you ne-chan!"
Tasuki was relieved to see her smile. He felt it was okay to put her down. She put her on the couch. The kitten slipped inside and jumped up to the couch to sit with Kohana. Ayame was about to stop it when she decided not to. She decided to get a drink and went into the kitchen. Tasuki followed while Ruri and Amiboshi watched Kohana.
He stood there, watching her get a glass. "You want something Tasuki? We've got some soda and stuff around."
"No…I'm fine." He wrapped his arms around her waist when she set her drink down. "I'm sorry Ayame."
"F…for what?" She looked up at him.
"If I hadn't been looking at the stereo, we would have noticed Kohana wander off." He murmured sadly.
"What? No. Tasuki, it wasn't your fault." She cupped his cheek in her hand. "She would have wandered off it all 4 of us had been watching. That's just how good she is. What matters is that you were there to save her."
He studied her face. "I still feel like it's my fault."
"Well, stop." She kissed him tenderly. "She could get away from Secret Service agents if she wanted."
He smiled slightly. "Maybe…" He returned her kiss.
"Trust me on this one." She took her drink in one hand and grabbed his hand with her other.
They reentered the living room to see Ruri sitting on the couch watching Amiboshi and Kohana play with the kitten.
"I've decided something." Ruri looked up at Ayame.
"What?"
"That." She pointed to the kitten. "Is a feline incarnation of Kohana. I swear to you!"
Ayame laughed. "Why not?"
Kohana picked up the kitten. "Ne-chan, I think Hime's hungry."
"Hime?" Ayame raised an eyebrow.
"She looks like a princess to me. Do we have anything for her?"
Ayame bit her lip. "I don't think so. I think there's some crackers left if you want to give her those. We might have a dish for water."
"Okay." Kohana went into the kitchen carrying the kitten recently dubbed Hime.
Tasuki watched her go. "She recovers fast. I can't believe she gave it a name already."
"That's Kohana for you. Bounces back faster than anyone or anything." Ayame rolled her eyes. "Makes me hope the owner won't claim the kitten. She'll be really upset if she can't keep Hime."
"You're calling it Hime already?" Ruri blinked.
"Why not? It's a nice name for a cat. It might not be a girl, but oh well." Amiboshi got off the floor.
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Three days passed since Kohana had almost been hit. Tasuki called every day to see how she was and helped them with looking for the owner. So far nothing and they all began getting rather close to the kitten.
It seemed more and more likely they'd get to keep Hime around.
On the fourth day, the five of them were over at Ayame's house. Ayame was about ready to give up the search for the owner and adopt the kitten when the phone rang.
She was alone in the kitchen at the time so she picked it up. The others were in the living room with Hime.
"Hello? Kurogawa residents."
~Is this Ayame Kurogawa?~
"Yes, ma'am. How can I help you?"
~I believe you found my kitten.~
Her throat tightened. 'Dammit.' "What does you kitten look like?"
~She's small and light brown with white paws and the tip of her tail is white.~
"Does she respond to any name?"
~I didn't have the chance to give her a name. Her collar only has my address on it.~
"Um…yeah…I think that's the kitten my sister found…"
~I'd like her back.~
"Of…of course…"
~You don't sound very happy.~
"Well, my sister is kind of attached to Hime now. So am I."
~Hime?~
"That's what we call her…" Tasuki entered the room. He mouthed the words 'Kitten's owner?' and frowned when she nodded. "But I understand that you'd like her back…we'll bring her over…"
~Thank you. I can tell this is hard for you. There might be a chance you can keep her.~
"Really? Well, thank you. I'll tell my sister. When would you like us to bring Hime?"
~Could you bring her today?~
"Yeah…I suppose the sooner the better…"
~My address is different from the one on the collar. I assume that's why you didn't have any luck trying to reach me there.~
"Um yeah…let me find some paper and you can give me your address." Ayame grabbed a piece of scratch paper.
The woman gave her the address and hung up. Ayame sighed. "Dammit…"
"She wants her kitten back?"
"Yeah…Kohana's not going to like it. But the lady said we still might get to keep her. I'm not really sure what she meant by that…"
"How are you gonna tell Kohana?"
"I don't know."
"Tell me what?" Kohana was in the doorway with Hime sitting next to her.
Ayame gritted her teeth. "Kohana…that was Hime's owner…she wants her kitten back."
"No." Kohana frowned.
"Kohana, Hime isn't yours."
"But I want her."
"I know. So do I. I don't think I'd like her too much, but I do. The lady said there's a chance we can keep Hime. I think she wants to at least see her again though."
Kohana sighed. "Fine. I'll give her back. Now?"
"As soon as possible."
"Then let's get it over with." Kohana frowned.
Tasuki and Ayame looked at each other. They didn't like seeing Kohana upset, but it had to happen eventually.
Tasuki told Amiboshi and Ruri and they all got into the car and went to the owner's home.
It wasn't very big. She probably lived alone. There was a dog outside. It watched the group of five head up to the door but neither growled or barked. It actually wagged its tail.
Kohana held the kitten close. "I still don't want to give Hime back."
"I know. I know." Ayame rang the doorbell. "But she is Hime's owner…"
Kohana was about to protest again when the door opened. The girls all let out surprised squeaks. "Baba!?"
"Hello girls." It was the same old lady from the library that gave Kohana the Universe of the Four Gods. She looked at Tasuki and Amiboshi. "Boys."
Their eyes widened and they backed up a little. "T…T…T…Tai Itsukun?" The look she gave them was unmistakable.
"Who?" Ruri looked at Amiboshi.
"I'll explain that too." Baba stepped aside. "Come in everyone. There are many things I have to explain besides who I am."
Kohana looked up at her. "You know, I don't really want to give back Hime, but Ayame says I have to."
"You can have Hime."
"Really?" She brightened.
"Yes really." Baba smiled.
Tasuki watched Baba. Ayame poked him. "Are you alright?"
"No. She's from my world too…and she doesn't particularly like me…" He cringed.
"Tai Itsukun…isn't that the name of the prophet on the mountain?"
"You read well." Amiboshi didn't look much happier than Tasuki.
Ruri looked over at him. "What's your problem?"
"She's more of a prophet for Suzaku than Seiryuu…I'm not her favorite person in the world either…"
"Would you boys quit babbling and come in here?"
They looked at each other, cringed and followed the three girls into Baba's living room.
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Getting closer to the end now. One more chapter of explanations and then the epilogue and then well, the sequel will come out. That'll be in a few days, probably by the weekend. Next Monday would be the latest I assume. I hope at least. I want it done before school which should happen but I shouldn't say that otherwise it might not happen.
~*~Shadow Hawk~*~