It was three months until Ame had a chance to visit Kita and family again.
She started doing worse in school, so she was grounded until her grades
picked up. She tried to sneak out, but it made her punishment more severe.
After that she wasn't even allowed out to go shopping for food. Finally,
her schoolwork was acceptable, and she was allowed out. Unfortunately, she
turned into a bit of a recluse. What started out with giving Hatori the
silent treatment ended up with her hardly speaking anymore.
"Isn't it a lovely day!?" Momiji exclaimed. He had suggested that they all go on a picnic, and seeing the others thought it was a good idea, Ame reluctantly came along. She did suggest one thing: where to have it. "How did you find such a lovely place?" Momiji asked, but Ame wasn't listening.
"Mmm." She was lying on her back, looking at the sky through the leaves. Kita's clearing was perfect for a picnic. "We have to make sure it stays like that after we leave." She stated, looking at Momiji, who was about to pick a flower. Tohru, Yuki, Kyou, Shigure, Ayame and Hatori came into the clearing, giving him the chance to pick it anyway.
"Ame-kun, this is perfect!" Tohru declared while setting out the bento boxes. Everyone settled down and enjoyed their lunch. The picnic had been a quiet, enjoyable one. Hatori had spoken to Yuki and Kyou, and they declared a temporary truce. There had been one time where a fight almost happened, but Ame calmed Kyou down. She placed her hand on his knee, getting his attention, and shook her head slightly, her eyes closed. Her now quiet voice was clear through the noise.
"Don't. You're hurting my ears." No one had realised that with her being by herself, she wasn't used to the noise Kyou made. He stopped after that. Ayame was surprisingly well mannered, seeing his little brother was sitting across from him. Hatori had talked to him as well, telling him to behave. Everyone was glad of that.
Afterwards, they all relaxed, lying down in the peaceful clearing. Ame was lying peacefully unaware of the rest of the world, when a voice piped up. 'I said come back soon. Is this what you call soon!?' She sat up quickly, not noticing that Momij did the same.
"Nat-chan!" She called, a smile spread across her face as the little rabbit hopped out of the bush. "Wow! You've grown! Are you still the littlest? How are the others? Where's Kita-chan? Is Noka still making trouble?" Questions poured out of her mouth, giving Natsuko no chance to answer. Momiji spoke quietly.
"You don't have to speak so quickly Ame." She turned around to see him properly. The others were staring at her, as if she's grown another head. Hatori was the only one who didn't look at her as if she was crazy. Momiji sighed and spoke to them. "Haven't you heard others speaking to their animals? Yuki, you speak in squeaks, like a mouse, and Ayame, you hiss. You make the noise your animal makes. I would've thought you guys knew." They shook their heads slowly. Ame looked at Momiji, puzzled.
"What sound was I making? I've never heard a rabbit before." Momiji shook his head, explaining that he'd never heard it either. She turned to the rest of the group. They tried to describe it, but failed. Ame shrugged, "Oh well," and turned back to Natsuko. "Well, how is everyone?" Natsuko turned around to face the bush.
'Ask them yourself. They were going to come earlier, but got scared by the noisy one.' Momiji snickered, and Ame turned to glare at him.
"If you're going to listen in, either join the conversation, or laugh quietly." He scuttled over, letting Natsuko sniff his face. The other rabbits came out of the bushes, making Ame smile even more.
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"Ame, this parcel came for you! It looks important, it says. 'Fragile' on it." Ame came downstairs and took the parcel from Momiji. Her face closed up as she opened the packaging to reveal the thing inside. She looked at the object for a while, and went upstairs, quietly thanking Momiji on the way. *I wonder what it is.* He thought.
In her room, Ame looked at the object again. She opened the case and took out her violin. Sitting on her bed, memories going through her head, she rested the violin on her lap, looking at it, but not seeing it. She sat there, not moving, until Momiji came and poked his head around the door.
"Ame, dinner's ready, but if you don't want any, then I'll save some for you to have later." Ame looked up and stared at him, as if trying to place his face. She nodded slowly, a sad smile playing across her lips. He backed out of the room, and Ame picked up the violin. She put it on her shoulder and began to play.
Downstairs, Momiji and Hatori looked up at the ceiling. "Is that Ame?" Hatori asked. Momiji shrugged. "I guess it must be," Hatori commented, "there's no one else here. She's good isn't she?" Momiji agreed, and they went back to dinner, a mournful song wafting down while they ate.
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The next morning, Ame stumbled downstairs, half asleep. She decided to make breakfast for them all. She also couldn't sleep. She kept having nightmares, so she gave up trying and got up. She went into the kitchen to find Tohru there.
"Ohayoo Gozaimasu Ame-kun! You're an early riser like Kyou-kun! Did you sleep well?" Ame stared at Tohru for a second before answering.
"Uh-uh. Why are you here? Don't you live somewhere else?" Tohru blushed, but giggled at the same time.
"Shigure-san thought it would be a good idea to come and make breakfast, then walk to school together! You're funny when you're tired Ame-kun, of course I live somewhere else!" Ame rubbed her eyes and realised what Tohru was saying.
"So that means Yuki and Kyou are here too, right?" Tohru nodded and Ame went into the dining room. *Shigure always seems to know when I need them. that's kind of freaky in a way.* not looking where she was going, she ran into someone. She started to back away, apologising quickly, when the person's arms reached around her and pulled her close.
"Ohayoo." Kyou whispered in her ear as he hugged her tightly. She breathed in his smell with a smile across her face. After a while, she pulled away from him, but with great difficulty.
"I have to get ready for school. I'll be down soon." She walked upstairs, and called down to him from the top. "Don't yell at Yuki too loudly. The other two are still asleep."
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------- =^.^=: Sorry I haven't updated in AGES. I had major writer's block, and I only just finished this chapter.
"Isn't it a lovely day!?" Momiji exclaimed. He had suggested that they all go on a picnic, and seeing the others thought it was a good idea, Ame reluctantly came along. She did suggest one thing: where to have it. "How did you find such a lovely place?" Momiji asked, but Ame wasn't listening.
"Mmm." She was lying on her back, looking at the sky through the leaves. Kita's clearing was perfect for a picnic. "We have to make sure it stays like that after we leave." She stated, looking at Momiji, who was about to pick a flower. Tohru, Yuki, Kyou, Shigure, Ayame and Hatori came into the clearing, giving him the chance to pick it anyway.
"Ame-kun, this is perfect!" Tohru declared while setting out the bento boxes. Everyone settled down and enjoyed their lunch. The picnic had been a quiet, enjoyable one. Hatori had spoken to Yuki and Kyou, and they declared a temporary truce. There had been one time where a fight almost happened, but Ame calmed Kyou down. She placed her hand on his knee, getting his attention, and shook her head slightly, her eyes closed. Her now quiet voice was clear through the noise.
"Don't. You're hurting my ears." No one had realised that with her being by herself, she wasn't used to the noise Kyou made. He stopped after that. Ayame was surprisingly well mannered, seeing his little brother was sitting across from him. Hatori had talked to him as well, telling him to behave. Everyone was glad of that.
Afterwards, they all relaxed, lying down in the peaceful clearing. Ame was lying peacefully unaware of the rest of the world, when a voice piped up. 'I said come back soon. Is this what you call soon!?' She sat up quickly, not noticing that Momij did the same.
"Nat-chan!" She called, a smile spread across her face as the little rabbit hopped out of the bush. "Wow! You've grown! Are you still the littlest? How are the others? Where's Kita-chan? Is Noka still making trouble?" Questions poured out of her mouth, giving Natsuko no chance to answer. Momiji spoke quietly.
"You don't have to speak so quickly Ame." She turned around to see him properly. The others were staring at her, as if she's grown another head. Hatori was the only one who didn't look at her as if she was crazy. Momiji sighed and spoke to them. "Haven't you heard others speaking to their animals? Yuki, you speak in squeaks, like a mouse, and Ayame, you hiss. You make the noise your animal makes. I would've thought you guys knew." They shook their heads slowly. Ame looked at Momiji, puzzled.
"What sound was I making? I've never heard a rabbit before." Momiji shook his head, explaining that he'd never heard it either. She turned to the rest of the group. They tried to describe it, but failed. Ame shrugged, "Oh well," and turned back to Natsuko. "Well, how is everyone?" Natsuko turned around to face the bush.
'Ask them yourself. They were going to come earlier, but got scared by the noisy one.' Momiji snickered, and Ame turned to glare at him.
"If you're going to listen in, either join the conversation, or laugh quietly." He scuttled over, letting Natsuko sniff his face. The other rabbits came out of the bushes, making Ame smile even more.
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"Ame, this parcel came for you! It looks important, it says. 'Fragile' on it." Ame came downstairs and took the parcel from Momiji. Her face closed up as she opened the packaging to reveal the thing inside. She looked at the object for a while, and went upstairs, quietly thanking Momiji on the way. *I wonder what it is.* He thought.
In her room, Ame looked at the object again. She opened the case and took out her violin. Sitting on her bed, memories going through her head, she rested the violin on her lap, looking at it, but not seeing it. She sat there, not moving, until Momiji came and poked his head around the door.
"Ame, dinner's ready, but if you don't want any, then I'll save some for you to have later." Ame looked up and stared at him, as if trying to place his face. She nodded slowly, a sad smile playing across her lips. He backed out of the room, and Ame picked up the violin. She put it on her shoulder and began to play.
Downstairs, Momiji and Hatori looked up at the ceiling. "Is that Ame?" Hatori asked. Momiji shrugged. "I guess it must be," Hatori commented, "there's no one else here. She's good isn't she?" Momiji agreed, and they went back to dinner, a mournful song wafting down while they ate.
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The next morning, Ame stumbled downstairs, half asleep. She decided to make breakfast for them all. She also couldn't sleep. She kept having nightmares, so she gave up trying and got up. She went into the kitchen to find Tohru there.
"Ohayoo Gozaimasu Ame-kun! You're an early riser like Kyou-kun! Did you sleep well?" Ame stared at Tohru for a second before answering.
"Uh-uh. Why are you here? Don't you live somewhere else?" Tohru blushed, but giggled at the same time.
"Shigure-san thought it would be a good idea to come and make breakfast, then walk to school together! You're funny when you're tired Ame-kun, of course I live somewhere else!" Ame rubbed her eyes and realised what Tohru was saying.
"So that means Yuki and Kyou are here too, right?" Tohru nodded and Ame went into the dining room. *Shigure always seems to know when I need them. that's kind of freaky in a way.* not looking where she was going, she ran into someone. She started to back away, apologising quickly, when the person's arms reached around her and pulled her close.
"Ohayoo." Kyou whispered in her ear as he hugged her tightly. She breathed in his smell with a smile across her face. After a while, she pulled away from him, but with great difficulty.
"I have to get ready for school. I'll be down soon." She walked upstairs, and called down to him from the top. "Don't yell at Yuki too loudly. The other two are still asleep."
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------- =^.^=: Sorry I haven't updated in AGES. I had major writer's block, and I only just finished this chapter.
