Chapter 3: Love Untold

Sakaki sat there in her futon, staring at the blandly colored ceiling; white can feel really empty and lonely sometimes. The moonlight could not shine through her window and illuminate anything; dark, ominous clouds obscured the sky. She was trying to contemplate the night's events, and was wondering if she could make any sense of it all.

'What is going on with Chiyo-chan? She has been acting very strangely lately, and it's almost painfully noticeable. Yet…'

She closed her eyes and pictured Chiyo's smiling face and the soft touch of her hand as they interlaced fingers. She was always smiling at her, and always insisted on holding hands or locking arms together.

'…Yet I don't understand what it all means, and I am so clueless as to what she's trying to say, or rather show, to me. It feels… different somehow, but in spite of that, it doesn't feel all too bad. In fact, one could say it almost feels good.'

She thought more about her friend's actions and every little thing she does. Analyzing them carefully, and concentrating on the little details and hints, Sakaki still could not place together something very obvious.

Maya jumped on her chest and purred quietly. She stroked his head slowly and sighed.

"It seems like it's so conspicuous that I would have to see it, but I am still in the hazy mist, and I can't seem to see through it. Oh well… I guess that I should just stop trying to figure it out."

She gradually crawled out of bed and sleepily walked over to the cupboards to look for some cat food. She involuntarily shivered and looked at the kitty clock ticking away above her window.

'5am, and yet I am awake. I should be sleeping, and it's very cold out, but I think an early morning walk will do me some good.'

She pulled down a silver can of food and dragged herself over to the can opener. Maya meowed loudly and began to walk around in circles, waiting for his can of tuna food. Sakaki finished opening the cold tin can and set it down in front of Maya and watched him dig in.

She went back to the cupboards in search of some food for herself, and found only a chewy energy bar. She shrugged and thought that it was better than nothing, and then tore off the golden outer wrapper. After finishing it, she sighed with satisfaction and brushed her teeth.

As she was brushing her long black hair, she stared absent-mindedly into the mirror. She heard a car horn go off, and the siren began to blast throughout her neighborhood, the loud noise racking her brain and disrupting her hearing. Chiyo's face suddenly flashed before her eyes and she staggered backwards. Shaking her head, she started gasping.

'Why do I keep thinking of her? This can't be that normal…' she thought. After regaining her balance and taking a few deep breaths, she finished brushing her hair and she rushed to her doorway. Maya was curled up in a ball sleeping next to an empty tuna can, probably dreaming of flying fish.

Sakaki smiled and grabbed her jacket as she silently tip toed outside of her apartment, locking the door after her. She began jogging down the stairs of her complex and then started to pick up the pace on the sidewalk.

Cars flew by at mind-boggling speeds and they were getting real close to one another, causing them to sound their horns to alert the drivers. By now, the sun had started to peek up above the horizon, but the air was still filled with thick clouds and a light breeze.

She glanced up to the top of the brownish brick wall and noticed a grinning black cat, showing rows of razor sharp teeth glinting in the rising sun's rays. 'That must be the biting cat that I came to know so well all throughout high school.' She thought.

Sakaki came across a busy intersection and pressed the button to wait for the sign to turn into the walking green person instead of the red hand. As the cross sign appeared, she took a step into the crosswalk and heard a blaring horn rip through the air. She whipped her head around and went wide-eyed as a speeding car came hurling towards her at high speed.

Pushing off from the ground, Sakaki leaped to the side just in time and landed hard on her side, scraping her clothes. She heard a few seams rip in her clothes, but that was nothing compared to the magnitude of the sound that followed after.

The repercussions of the speeding car was the slamming of another one, causing the first speeding car to spin five times in a 360 degree action, resulting in a devastating collision with the wall opposite to her. The impact sounded like the crushing of a few cans, except intensified a thousand fold.

After getting hit by the speeding car, the other one flipped over and it flew about fifty feet, hitting a random bystander on the way. Both wrecks erupted into flames and the fires howled in an angry rage, eating up any person who dared to go near in an attempt to help the trapped drivers and passengers.

With the slight breeze feeding the two infernos, they spread to a few houses, and mayhem ensued. Sakaki pressed up against the wall dumbstruck by everything that had just happened in the past few seconds.

She felt a thick hot liquid trickle down the side of her head and down the length of her hand, but that didn't matter. The adrenaline that was pumping through her blood system began to wear off, and she began to calm down, bringing her heart rate with it.

A man came running by, shouting at people, "Hey! They need an ambulance! Call an ambulance! Get the firemen down here too!"

Some people were struck by the out-of-control speeding metal deathtraps and they were groaning on the ground, covered in a pool of their own oozing blood. Ambulance and Firemen sirens were heard as they were coming closer and closer to the scene.

Sakaki looked at the policemen who began to show up and she staggered away. She hid down an alley and began to wonder if she was at fault, or if the driver was. 'Pedestrians get the right a way, don't they? I don't think I caused that accident…"

She leaned against the wall and felt a stinging pain. She winced and felt her head and almost forgot that she hit the ground pretty hard. She felt a small cut on the side of her head, with blood slightly trickling down her face. Then she glanced at her hand and noticed a slightly deeper cut, still bleeding and dripping blood down onto the ground.

'Agh, I guess I should try and wrap something around these to stop the bleeding. I really have no need to go to a hospital for something so trivial as these, I mean, I've been attacked by multiple cats before, right?' she laughed despite the situation, and remembered all of the cats that used to bite her as she tried to pet them.

A small scream shook her from her thoughts and she thought the shriek sounded familiar. She ran to the source of the sound, past a few corners, and down a few alleys, and then she saw a person with their back to the wall, faced against a myriad of hissing cats.

"Chiyo-chan?!" she yelled out. The person turned their head and it turned out to be exactly whom she thought it would be. Chiyo screamed for help, and Sakaki dashed in front of her, putting up her arms to protect her.

She stared down the gathering irritated cats and asked, "Hey Chiyo-chan, what exactly did you do to these cats to make them this mad at you?" her younger friend laughed halfheartedly.

"Well, I kind of gave food to one cat, and then more showed up. Once I ran out of treats for them, they kept chasing me and hey! What happened to your face and hands!? You're bleeding profusely!"

Sakaki glanced backwards and grinned, and then winced in pain, "I just dodged death. Almost getting hit by cars is much better than facing down an army of cats. Well, none of that matters now, just stay behind me and you'll be fine."

Chiyo did as she was told and clung to her back in fear, "This is like when those other cats came and attacked, though Maya came and saved us. Their claws do carry bacteria though! I don't want to swell up like a balloon."

Her tall friend smiled through a clenched jaw and shook her head, "Don't worry, you won't get hurt as long as I'm here." She rested her hand on Chiyo's head as she usually would when things looked bad for some reassurance.

Suddenly, the cats began to jump all at once, coming at Sakaki like speeding furry bullets. A scruffy calico cat sunk its teeth into her arm and she let out a yelp of pain. All of the other cats began clawing at Sakaki and biting into her arms and various other body parts.

She was able to shake them off by whipping her body back and forth, causing the momentum to throw all of the cats off, one by one like stuck leeches. Sakaki's glistening red hand somehow found Chiyo's through all of the pandemonium and she started running.

"Come on! We have to get to your house to escape them!" She snuck a peek behind them and saw a moving sea of fuzz trailing not too far behind them, all roaring as loud as they could.

After rushing through alleys and streets, a tall familiar mansion came into view, and they arrived at the gate, breathing heavily. Sakaki looked behind them and saw the cats running at full speed not even fifty feet away. Her eyes widened in fear and she quickly opened the gate to the house's front yard.

Chiyo threw the gate shut and locked it, but Sakaki urged her to sprint quickly to the front door.

"Heh, of all times to have such a commodious front yard, we have to have a huge mob of angry cats chasing us. The door seems so far away…" joked Sakaki.

They went as hastily as they could and reached the double oak doors. They both glanced behind to see if they were in the clear, but the cats scaled the walls and fences like it was nothing. Chiyo let out a squeak and kept fumbling with the keys as she tried to jam them into the door's lock.

Finally, they heard the precious click that they were hoping to hear, and then the two piled into the house and kicked the door closed behind them without a moment to spare. As soon as the door closed shut, they heard multiple thuds, which could only be the many cats slamming into the now locked door.

The two friends just lied there on the floor, breathing deeply and trying to relax their racing hearts. Chiyo rested her head on Sakaki's stomach as their breathing began to stabilize again and go back to normal. Sakaki didn't mind at all, and she just rested there, feeling pleasant and happy that they escaped a major cat attack.

Chiyo's head rose up and down on her friend's stomach in a rhythmic beat and she enjoyed the calm silence, and then she felt the touch of a hand on her head. Currents shot up her body like electric impulses as Sakaki began to stroke her head serenely. This moment was heaven to her, but when she felt the trickle of hot liquid slide down her face, she had to shatter the silence.

She leaned up and grasped her hand softly and gasped at the amount of cuts that were covering it. Then she examined the rest of her body and noticed that many parts of her clothes were in shreds. Sakaki was bleeding in multiple spots, and Chiyo grimaced.

"You're hurt all over! Those cats got you badly…" She stood up and helped pick up her bleeding friend. Sakaki fell limp and leaned heavily on Chiyo's shoulder, and she struggled to hold her up. Together, they walked to her room, inch by inch. She gently laid her body down on her bed and went to search for bandages and gauze.

Sakaki's vision blurred and shook as she tried to retain consciousness, but it was hard to keep her eyes open. She felt like weights were tied to her eyelids and they were just pleading for her to close them. Sleep and fatigue almost overtook her, but then the tender cool touch of a wet towel on her head soothed her splitting headache.

She felt Chiyo-chan's hand rest on her own, and she felt at ease. Her face came into view as she began to take off her shirt, or what was left of the shredded thing. Her cheeks flushed red as her friend leaned her up against the wall and began to wrap bandages around her, as if she was wrapping a security veil around her.

Through her hazy vision she could see skillful hands weave in front of her and then go behind her, go in front of her, and then behind her, quickly covering the bloody gashes that were still oozing a little.

Chiyo then tenderly laid Sakaki's body back down onto the bed and dipped the towel into a basin filled with ice cold, refreshing water. She squeezed out the excess liquid, and then placed it on her forehead, sighed, and then turned around.

"You should get some rest now, your body needs to recuperate. And… thanks for protecting me from the cats," she said as she turned once again to face Sakaki, "you always seem to save me from any danger. Every time things looked bad, you would always put your hand on my head and say things would be alright…"

Her gaze went straight through Sakaki's eyes, and down to her soul, warming everything inside of her until she thought she would melt down into a pool of happiness and bliss. Then, Chiyo swiftly closed in and placed a short kiss on her cheek. Sakaki felt as if the agonizing pain that enclosed around her body had suddenly lifted, and she felt her cheeks grow hot.

Chiyo-chan giggled and smiled, then stood up. She walked to the door and paused. Sakaki couldn't tell what she was doing, or what she was thinking, but then her friend shook her head and walked out the door.

She wondered what that was all about, and then closed her eyes. 'I might as well try and get some sleep. I won't be able to get up and walk around yet in my condition. I hope Maya will be okay if I just stay here for a little while longer…'

Her eyelids began to droop, and she felt the tiredness catching up to her weak body, and eventually yielded to her body's needs.

The town was alive with sirens blasting everywhere, screams and shouts filling the sinister skies. She ran and ran in search of her friend in fear that she might have been hurt or injured.

"Where are you? Chiyo-chan! Where are you?" her scream merging with the cacophony of other shrieks and ear-piercing cries. People were running around, darting left and right, like frightened ants that were thrown from their normal route, confused at what to do.

Sakaki ran faster and faster in a frantic panic as houses zipped by at a faster rate then she had ever seen before. Her feet pounded against the cold ground as she pushed herself to hurry.

'Something is wrong! Something horrible has just happened! Where could she be?' she thought as she ran down the chaotic roads and streets.

Her eyes widened as an evil shadowy veil rose above to the shadowy sky. 'A black cloud… that's smoke! Oh please, don't let it be her!' She kept her eyes to the angry red sky as the haze spread out like an infectious disease.

She dashed down the alleyway, cutting corners and launching herself forward, kicking her feet to go rapidly. She emerged from the alley only to be greeted by the most horrid scene that she has ever witnessed before. She stopped dead in her tracks and stared at ghastly area.

Fires were blazing throughout the whole stretch of pavement as firemen rushed to try and shoot water at them to put them out. Blood was splattered on the ground as if someone threw bucketfuls of it everywhere. Frightened spectators watched in morbid curiosity as medics pulled bodies out from underneath burning cars.

Agonizing moans and groans ripped through the sky, adding more noise to the din, as more and more people who were trapped under flaming cars were starting to be incinerated by the intensity of the heat.

Scanning the place while shielding her eyes from the severe light, Sakaki saw something in the distance that made her blood run cold. 'No…!' she thought as her mind raced with a multitude of thoughts, 'it can't be her!'

A fiery metal deathtrap exploded next to her and caused her to fly through the air and skid against the concrete. She let out a cry of pain and grabbed her arm. 'I must get to Chiyo-chan!'

She clenched her teeth and bared the pain as she swaggered upwards and continued running.

Infernos blazed all around her, causing a severe headache to tear through her brain. Arriving at the fallen body in front of her, she kneeled down to get a closer look to see if it was who she fearfully thought it might be.

Another car exploded just in front of them, and Sakaki shielded Chiyo-chan with her body, gasping out as flaming metal shrapnel from the wreck shot into her back. She looked down at the body with tears in her eyes.

"Chiyo-chan… you can't be…" she couldn't finish the sentence. Raindrops began to drizzle down onto the death-ridden area, helping extinguish the flames, but not even the rain could extinguish the unbearable pain and longing that coursed through Sakaki's body.

She hugged her friend closely, her flowing tears mixing with the rain that plummeted down all around them. "Chiyo-chan… have you left me? It… it hurts… I miss you… say something to me?"

Chiyo's delicate pale face just stayed there like a cold statue's, and Sakaki could only cry more.

"Why did you leave me?! It wasn't your time! You were too young, and it should have been me instead! Oh why couldn't it have been me?!"

She sat there straddling her friend's lifeless body when a paramedic approached them. "Miss, we're going to have to take that body now… the person has, well… passed away."

Sakaki looked up at the man with blurred vision and clung onto the body until she was forced to let go. She saw him put Chiyo-chan's body into a body bag and lift her into an ambulance.

She sat there on the bitter cold ground, trying to deny what had just happened. She stare das the rain washed away her friend's blood from her hands, and from existence. Sitting there in dumb silence, she refused to accept the fate that had befallen her closest friend.

"It… hurts so much. You're gone, and I couldn't do a thing to prevent it… but, why did it have to be this way? Chiyo-chan! Why? WHHYYY?!"

She rose up and her body shook as she violently screamed up to the sky. The stinging pain of losing her friend made her sick inside, it made her stomach churn. 'I have never felt this way before… yet I only realize it now?! Why now? I've been blind this whole time to what was plainly laid out in front of me!'

Momentarily pausing her shrieks, she nostalgically remembered that her best moments were spent with her special best friend, but she realized that this could never ever come to happen again. Chiyo-chan was dead, and as far as she cared, she was dead as well. Without her friend, she has nothing to live for.

The tormenting pain came back, and she threw back her head out of frustration, letting the sky and the heavens themselves know her heart wrenching feelings.

"CHIYO-CHAN!!!"

"Chiyo-chan!!!" her head darted up, causing a headache to rush to her head. Her friend looked at her from her chair stationed next to the bed, a look of concern covering her face.

"What's wrong Sakaki?" Sakaki stared at her, taking in all of her features, happy beyond words that it was only a dream, and her friend was all right. She pulled her friend in closely and hugged her tenderly.

Chiyo blushed and laughed. "Wha-what's up? I see you're feeling better, ne?" Sakaki stared at her lively friend and smiled. "It was… only a dream…" She stared in puzzlement at that remark, but then she added in a comment, her eyes dim as if she were in pain.

"When you were sleeping, you started crying and moaning. You tossed and turned on the bed and I almost thought you were dying for a moment. It scared me…"

Sakaki stared at her and then brought a hand up to her own face. She felt tears on the corners of her eyes, and then sighed. "I had a horrible dream… It wasn't me who died, but it did feel as if I did due to the circumstance that occurred. I never… want that to happen. Ever."

Fresh tears began to fall down Sakaki's flushed cheeks as Chiyo-chan just hugged her closely, trying to comfort her upset friend. "I can't make the pain go away, or the dream from your memory, but I can help you have a fun day," she drew back from her friend, "and I think that a nice walk around the park will do you some good."

Sakaki looked at her considerate friend, but had to shake her head at the enticing offer. "I can't… I have to go back to work. Mr. Hiyemoto won't be all that happy if I miss so many days."

Chiyo-chan was well prepared for this answer and chuckled, "Of course, you're the dedicated veterinarian assistant. Although you do have work, I had already called in for you and explained everything to him. He completely understood, and he told you to get better soon."

Sakaki looked at Chiyo-chan's innocent grin and couldn't help but smile back.

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She playfully grabbed her hand and led her tall friend to a tree to rest underneath it. The two sat down against the trunk of the tree and took in the surroundings. It was a beautiful day outside, only a few clouds dotted the sky.

A pink cherry blossom drifted down and settled onto Sakaki's lap. Chiyo rested her head on her shoulder and began to doze off, breathing lightly. Sakaki looked around and admired all of the sakura trees that were scattered about the park, and the green grass that flowed openly.

Small kids were running around and playing with their dog, laughing and rolling down the few small hills that were around the area. She smiled at their youthful antics and remembered her younger days. A lot of the past was blurry for her, until it came to high school.

Those days, she remembered the clearest. Chiyo-chan was in most of her memories, she noticed, but that didn't really bother her.

"Wow… high school was almost seven years ago? Or was it six?" as she was pondering the years that have gone by, a voice was heard behind her.

"It was five years ago. Tell me how you passed your math class again?" Sakaki turned her head to see Tomo laughing and Yomi smiling. The pair sat down in front of her and they looked at the falling cherry blossoms.

"It's nice outside today," Yomi turned to look at Sakaki, "funny meeting you two here."

She noticed the bandages and scrapes that covered her body, not to mention the different shades of black and blue from the bruises. She nodded at her, "What happened to you?"
Sakaki looked at Chiyo's sleeping form, and then looked at her bandages, "I was just crossing the street a day or two ago and then a car almost hit me. I jumped out of the way, but that speeding car caused an accident." Tomo sprang up.

"Ah! You must've been in the huge accident that I saw in the news! A big wreck happened, and I thought, 'Hey, THAT'S AWESOME!'" she grinned, and Yomi told her to sit down and stop acting stupid.

Sakaki laughed and replied, "Yeah, I guess that's the one. Well, after that, I kind of wandered off down an alley and heard someone calling for help. I ran over and saw Chiyo-chan getting cornered by a big army of cats, so I went and helped her."

Yomi nodded and looked at Chiyo-chan, who had been awake and listening to the conversation. She smiled.

"Hey guys. Nice to see you two again." She said. Tomo grinned widely and struck a pose.

"I bet you couldn't get enough of us, eh Chiyo-chan? Bwahahaha!" Yomi had to once again pull her loud friend down and told her to shut up. "Hey, does anyone want to go get some taiyaki with me?"

Chiyo stood up and fished her wallet out of her back pocket, "I'll come with you, those things taste really good. Don't you like the red bean taiyakis because they're low calerie? Good for your diet."

Tomo doubled over and erupted into laughter, "HAHAHA! She's got you there diet girl! Why do you always have to watch your weight? Woohoo, do you think you're fat? I certainly do, hehehe."

Yomi turned around abruptly, but instead of having a furious glare, she had a hurt look in her eyes, "You really… think I'm that big?" Tomo was caught off guard by the reaction, and she could only sputter.

"Uh… uh… n-no… I don't…" Yomi sat back down in silence, then she told Tomo to go get taiyaki with Chiyo-chan. Tomo stood up and looked down at her friend with a worried look. So the two walked off in the direction of the taiyaki store.

Yomi pulled her legs in close and rested her chin down on them, sighing as she did it. Sakaki looked at her and wondered what was bothering her so much. "Yomi, something is wrong, I can tell. If I may be so bold, may I ask what is bothering you?" her friend didn't look up, but she began to speak.

"Well… I've always tried my hardest to be smart and study hard, but when it comes to maintaining my looks, I don't think I'm all that thin. I've always tried to look good for Tomo, but then-" her eyes opened wide.

"Oh no… did I just say…" she looked at Sakaki who had a perplexed look on her face. "Yomi, you just said that you tried to always look good for Tomo. What do you mean by that?"

Her friend dropped her head low and blushed, "Well, I… have always been kind of… erm… fond of Tomo, a crush if you will. I don't really know why, but I just feel different when I'm with her, so I came to that conclusion. I can't tell her though because that would jeopardize our friendship… "

Sakaki looked at her, and then something sprang up in her mind, "You said you just kind of feel different with her, and you concluded that you liked her. How did you really know that?"

Yomi shook her head, "I don't really know that I do, and I can't prove it, but I think it's just there, you know? It's a… unique kind of thing that you can't really explain, but you know that it's just what it is." The sun began setting, and the sky mixed with the ground in a mysteriously beautiful auburn red color.

Sakaki stared at the ground in silence, thinking about the words that her friend spoke to her. Perhaps she had found the answer, perhaps not, she could only sit and wonder. Her train of thought was interrupted when a large explosion shook the ground. Not long after, Tomo was seen running at them as fast as she could, despite her slow speed.

A half eaten-taiyaki was in her hand, but that was not the thing that Yomi noticed. Tomo was bleeding and cut everywhere, but she was trying to get to them as fast as she could; she had something important.

Arriving at the two friends, their usually cheerful and happy friend was on the brink of exhaustion as she collapsed on Yomi. The two fell to the ground, with Tomo's nearly limp form almost crushing Yomi's body.

"What happened? Tomo! You're hurt! Say something!" she said, her voice dripping with concern. Her hurt friend looked up and tried speaking, and managed to say, "Chiyo…….chan…" before she sputtered up blood and slipped out of consciousness. Sakaki bolted upright, and a wave of déjà vu struck her.

Yomi was holding Tomo closely. Fear grabbed hold of Sakaki's throat, and she could only start running. She looked to the sky and noticed that it was an angry crimson red, with clouds streaking across it.

'No…!' she thought, thoughts screaming in her head. She ran down an alleyway, and heard a siren. Not long after that, screams and shouts started to rise up and they filled the sinister skies. Sakaki ran faster out of fear of knowing what was to come.

'This is just like my dream! But it can't be!' her thoughts raced. "Chiyo-chan! Where are you? Where are you?!" Her shouts merged with the various other rackets to make a jumbled bunch of noises. She ran down some streets and then came upon a familiar looking alleyway, even though she had never even been down there in her life.

'Something's wrong! I know it is! Oh no, could it be there yet?!' she looked up to the wrathful sky and saw the dreaded black cloud that signaled death and a foreboding future; things were playing out exactly as her dream had, which meant that pain was going to follow.

"Chiyo-chan!!!" She ran faster, already knowing the consequences of not hurrying. Thoughts and memories of the sight of her dead body lying on the cold floor caused her to shake her head, 'Get a grip! This is real life, not a dream! I can make a difference!' she thought.

She emerged to the streets, and saw, and smelt, the death and grisly sights. Bodies were thrown about in bloody heaps, and people were watching with their curious thoughts. Huge, fiery infernos reached up and licked the sky as firemen struggled to put them out. The moans of the dead began to rip through the air as more people began to get burned, just like in her dream.

Without hesitation, she ran in the direction that she knew, and dreaded, where her friend would be, and sure enough, she saw a small body lying in the road. Her blood went cold and she picked up her pace.

She heard an explosion, and then a burning car came flying in her direction. Her eyes dilated, and saw the huge metal deathtrap ready to hit her. She made a dive under it, and with all her might, she rolled quickly and barely avoided the flying projectile. She even felt the flames singe part of her long black hair.

Arriving at Chiyo-chan's body, she grasped her friend close and let out a hiss as she clenched her teeth. Her wounds had reopened and they started to bleed again, causing red stains to blotch her clothes.

None of that mattered to her, all she was concerned about was her dear friend, and the fact that she wasn't moving. She shook her gently, "Chiyo-chan, please wake up. This can't happen! I even had a dream of this, yet… I wasn't able to save you then. Perhaps… I could save you now?"

Dark clouds hung in the sky as droplets of rain started to fall down, causing her to shiver. Tears stung her eyes and mingled with the water around her as she lowered her face to meet her friend's.

'Her lips are so soft, but they're so cold…' She stared at her friend, her face in a peaceful smile. "She probably was eating taiyaki with Tomo when this disaster happened…" said Sakaki, "and I was with Yomi, talking about…" She thought about what they were discussing, and it finally hit her, hard.

"Oh Chiyo-chan…no… it's too late! That gleam in your eyes, it was love, wasn't it? How could I be so blind?! I can't do anything now, I'm helpless to save you!" she remembered how her friend had said that she always protected her.

"Well, look at us now. Where has my protection gotten you? You're… gone…"

Sakaki wiped her eyes clean from tears and rainwater, and then whispered into her ear for only her friend to hear.

"I…love you." She held her close and hugged her tightly. A medic came over, and stared at them, then he yelled for a stretcher.

"Miss! That person is still living and we have to get her to a hospital this instant!" Sakaki's eyes widened; this was not how the dream was. "What? Are you sure? Do you mean it?" The man nodded.

He picked up Chiyo-chan's body and carefully placed her on the newly arrived stretcher. "You can go and see her in the hospital."

Sakaki nodded, and ran to her lonely white car, filled with a renewed hope, and unaware of the eyes that followed her movement.

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The short-haired girl was seen around the corner, watching in the shadows.

"Ha, I got her. This plan worked. It may have been a bit extreme, but that is all it takes to get what I ultimately need. In the end, you will be mine.

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Hospitals smell of new medical equipment, and sterile gloves. It also smelled of death and sickness. To Sakaki at the moment, it most likely resembled the latter. Chiyo-chan was put into the OR under critical condition. Multiple gashes riddled her body, and they needed to stitch them up, or else she would bleed out and die.

Sakaki had been waiting in the guest room for four hours now, with weariness and fatigue tugging at her shirt. She ran her hands through her hair in frustration and pounded her fist into the coffee table, causing her knuckles to let out a crack sound.

The whole gang had come, Kagura, Kaorin, Osaka, Yomi, and Tomo who had been taken care of thanks to Yomi.

Yomi walked up to Sakaki's form and put a hand on her shoulder in an effort to comfort her. "I can't even begin to understand how you're feeling right now…"

She looked up at her and smiled. Yomi shuddered and had to avert her gaze; Sakaki had no life in her smile, no feeling, it was empty.

Finally, the double doors swung open, and a doctor came out. He told the other workers to send the patient to the room 176, and then Sakaki gasped as she saw them wheel out Chiyo's body, which had numerous stitches on it from what she could see.

The man walked up to the group with a grim face and looked at his clipboard. He sighed, "Well… it seems that she will make it, though she almost didn't. Tough one she is, hanging on by a thin thread, she refused to give up. She has a strong will to live, must be something that kept her here, though she won't remember what it is when she wakes."

Sakaki eyed the doctor curiously, "What do you mean by that? 'Won't remember what it is when she wakes?'"

He turned to face her, but he didn't look her in the eye, "Well… I'm afraid that she suffered multiple bruises and some ribs punctured her lungs, as well as numerous cuts and gashes that went through her first and second skin layer, almost through her third and to the bone. That's not the worst part though." He paused and everyone was waiting anxiously for what he was about to say.

"She suffered a severe head injury, and that was the thing that nearly killed her, but it didn't," everyone sighed in relief, "but as I said, that was the bad part. She didn't die, but she has amnesia now. She won't remember anything, and it'll take a long time for her to regain her memory. There's even a chance that she won't get it back at all, thought that's rare…"

Sakaki couldn't believe what she was hearing, and it made her heart ache. She grabbed her chest lightly, and looked at the doctor.

"Um… if it is alright with you, I would like to see her." He stared at her for a long time, and then shook his head.

"I'm sorry, you can't right now. She's still in a critical condition, and I can't have you doing anything that might alter that now. We need to play it safe." He nodded at her and everyone began to disperse.

Sakaki feigned walking outside, then darted down the hallway. She ran into the elevator and pressed the button for the fifth floor. Ping

The soft click of the elevator and the slowing of the speed signaled the end of the ride, and the doors slid open smoothly. She stepped out into the cold empty hallway, and spotted the room.

'176' She thought, 'this is it.' Her hand rested on the handle to the door and slowly opened it, the squeaking hinges giving way. Sakaki walked inside slowly and quietly, and spotted her friend on the bed. She closed the door behind her and walked up to Chiyo's frail body, hooked up to many wires and tubes.

A small oxygen mask was covering her mouth, allowing for air to go into her lungs, letting her breath precious life. Sakaki brought up a rolling chair next to her bed and sat down, facing her sleeping friend.

"You're in a coma, and you've lost your memory. How ironic, this is right when I find out that the thing I was feeling was love. It was mutual, and now here we are, you in this bed, and me talking to you," she whispered, "and… when you awake, what will happen? How will things turn out to be? Oh well, I should be happy that you didn't die… like in my dream… no, nightmare."

She leaned forward and rested her head on the bed next to Chiyo's arm, and she brought up her hand to rest on her friend's. Her eyes began to sag, and her head began to feel light.

"Chiyo-chan…" were her last words before she drifted off into a deep slumber.

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She stood outside of the door, looking into the small paned glass that allowed one to look inside. She saw her place her hand on the small girl's, and that shot a bullet through her heart seeing that.

"I will get you. You will be mine. I just have to wait, and it will soon be time."