~ Ryu

* The following day

What does a Lucario even do on their day off? One with absolutely no training too.

I thought to myself as I tossed a baseball against the wall back and forth. I don't think I've ever had a day of no training. At least not for a while.

Being sick or in the hospital doesn't count.

It's been so long I don't even know what I should be doing. Feeling very bored I decided to use my aura to see what everyone else was doing.

Father is at work and so is mother. She's watching Renata at work although honestly she's probably juggling work and being able to watch over her. I can't read Luca's since was too far away in another region.

I'm all by myself today.

I guess I'll go read a book?

*Three hours later

I sat in father's study reading one of his books on the study of aura. I wanted to learn how to maximize the distance I was able to read other auras.

Wow we can read as much as 30 miles away. I never knew that.

Right now I can only read as much as 10 miles or so. I tried straining myself to read auras farther and it just made me disoriented.

"Damn it."

I guess I actually have to practice little by little like father told me.

"Uncy Ryu! Where r you?"

My ears perked up when I heard Renata's voice. I brought up my aura again to see Renata looking for me in my room.

I sent her a telepathic message to play with her a bit.

'I'm here Renata.'

I waited for her to respond back. I was starting to wonder if father taught her yet, when she answered back with her telepathy.

'Where Uncy?'

'Step out of my room and walk down the hall back to the staircase.'

I kept watching her with my aura and do exactly as I said. She was definitely going to be a powerful Lucario someday.

'I by the stairs Uncy. Where do I go?'

'Walk all the way down the hall next to grandpa and grandma's room and turn right.'

She giggled in response and ran down the hall only stopping when she rounded the corner on the right.

'Run down that hall and I'll be in the third door on the right.'

She ran down the second hall in a fit of giggles, and counted the doors, after she rounded the second right to find the room I was in.

'Warm.'

Renata laughed as she opened the second door. I fought back the urge to laugh so I wouldn't give away my location.

"Hey!'

'Cold Renata.'

I heard her close the door and she laughed knowing she was somewhat close. She walked closer to my door.

'Warm.'

Renata giggled as I heard her getting closer outside the room.

'Warmer.'

She stood outside the door and I sat in my chair waiting in anticipation. When she suddenly walked past the door and went to open the fourth door.

"Hey! Ryu where r you?"

I laughed and I couldn't take waiting for her to find me anymore.

"I'm in here Renee."

She laughed in the hallway as she closed the door and ran into the room I was in. I smiled at how adorable and happy Renata was whenever she saw me.

"Ryu!"

I held out my arms and she jumped into my lap and hugged me tightly.

"Hi Renee. How was your day?"

"Boring until I got to color. And grandma bought me a dress. It's pink."

"Can I see it?"

"Okay! Carry me!"

I laughed as I carried her back to her room, which was four doors away from mine and five from my parents. It was so she can have a room with a lot of space.

When we stepped into her room I set Renée down and she pulled me inside her closet to show me her dress. Her room was all pink except for the white carpet, and full of many different stuffed toys. I told my parents that buying a walk-in closet for her was a bit excessive for a Lv 3.

But they just wanted to. I guess it was to make up for her mother.

Renee still doesn't know about her mother's passing. And we intend to keep it that way.

Whenever she asks we simply tell her we don't know where she is.

We just want to protect her and to just break the cycle. So Renee can live her life happily, and so history won't repeat itself.

Maybe we're going about it partly the wrong way and maybe she does deserve to know the truth about her mother someday.

My sister isn't fully worth knowing about after everything she did I admit. I just don't want Renata to hate any of us in the future, for keeping the truth from her, and she'll understand we just wanted to protect her.

At the end of the day I failed my twin but I will never fail my niece. If she ever does hate me I will always hold the days we bonded close.

"Here it is. Do you like it Ryu?"

Until then seeing her smile will make my days even happier. She fixes our broken family more and more everyday because she shines inside of it.

"Yeah I love it. It will look great on you."

"Can we have a tea party Uncy Ryu?"

"Of course, I'll set up the table and ring the maids for some tea and cookies."

If we're having a tea party we're going to do it right.

And that's how I spent the rest of my day. Having a princess party with Renata only agreeing to wear a princess hat and no dress and only pretending to talk like a girl sometimes just to make her laugh. And then reading her a storybook for bedtime about a princess who saved her kingdom with the power of love and her knight was often in distress.

It was actually an interesting story. Renee loved it and it always got her to sleep at night.

As she dozed off I tucked her in and left her nightlight on as I quietly shut the door.