Chapter 46: The Funeral.

Isis stared hollowly at the mirror, brushing her long raven hair with no real conviction, her body just going through the motions.

"Are you okay Isis?" The soft Spanish voice of Zoriaida; whom was already ready; she had been for a while.

"Huh? Oh… yeah, I'm fine." She smiled weakly in her funeral kimono.

"No you're not, but hopefully today will help all of your problems."

"Thanks." She smiled weakly as her Spanish friend helped her friend prepare her traditional hair and make up.

"It's fine Isis-"

"My name, my name is Kinomiya Kannon-chan; Kannon is the Japanese moon Kami in Shinto." She whispered quietly.

"Oh, Kannon-chan, gomen."

"Domo Zori-chan." The tears began to seep through again. "Oh Zori-chan, what am I going to do?" She whispered, "I'm so lost…"

Zoriaida gave her a concerned look and smiled at her, as though trying to comfort her in her own little way.

"Kannon-chan, you are the strongest person I have ever met, things will work out; they always do." She told her those words of encouragement softly as Isis felt her tears well up in her eyes.

"Domo," She mumbled.

"Come on, Takao-kun and Hiro-san will be ready now." She told her. "Have you got your Zori?"

"Hai." She pointed at the one toe sandals she was wearing.

"Come on then, let's go."

They met their friends outside; Ray wearing a formal Chinese suit and Max wearing a suit; Hilary (otherwise known as Hiromi-chan) was wearing her Kimono and standing next to Osiris who also wore a suit similar to Max's along with Pedro and Antonio, Lois, Francis, Phillip and Henry; Ana, Zoriaida, Cleo and surprisingly Nina, all wearing knee length skirts and formal jackets, all in black.

Tyson and Hiro emerged wearing their own kimono's, obviously unused to the formality like Hilary and Isis. Mariam and the rest of the saint shields came into the Dojo grounds as well, all wearing respective kimonos.

"We're all very sorry about your loss Takao-kun, Kannon-chan, Hiro-san." Mariam spoke quietly and clearly, all of the team bowing low.

Everyone had donated the amount that was traditional for the Kinomiya family to ask – 10,000 Yen, half what was usually asked, everyone had rosary as was advised by Hilary on those who weren't familiar with a Japanese funeral.

"O-sewa ni narimashita" Hiro spoke sadly to them all. "Thank you for coming and your help is greatly appreciated, come, we've got to go to the shrine; koden will be accepted there."

It was obvious that the Kinomiyas had spared no expense on preparing the altar ready for their Ojiisan; it was a truly beautiful altar. The whole ceremony was set out to perfect tradition; family from all over Japan came over to the funeral, despite not being there for the wake the day before.

The three young Kinomiyas had been silent through out the whole ceremony, except when needed of course.

The whole experience had been extremely sobering for those who had never been to a funeral before, never mind a Japanese one. Hilary having to occasionally correct them with bringing too much attention to her or the 'offender'.


"Kannon-chan." The soft voice that Isis hated so much whispered behind her.

"Yin-chan." She spoke back, her own voice just as soft as she turned to face her.

"Papa and I came as soon as we could." She murmured quietly in Japanese, as circled her sister before switching to English.

"Not that I wanted to come back to this dump. You mother was a bitch just like the rest of her family, and spawn." She said the last word with such contempt Isis felt her blood boil and her fists clench.

"How dare you! Have you know respect you! You!"

"Go on, say it, call me names, and disrespect your precious family traditions." She hissed in that low mellifluous voice of hers, like a viper.

"Can you not leave me alone for one night Kali?" She asked, trying in vain to control her temper "For one night."

Neither noticed a certain Spanish lady walk behind them, laying a gentle palm on Isis's shoulder.

"Kannon-chan, I'd like to share my condolences with you and your family." Ana bowed in respect and carefully steered her away from her poisonous looking sister.

"Thank you." She mumbled quietly. Ana didn't reply, still giving Kali a hard stare before turning towards Isis.

"She is a slut." She spoke calmly, "I don't trust her; no one of my team trusts her…" She trailed off in deep thought before the rest of the Espanola Angeles came over.

"Kannon-chan" Nina bowed. "We all offer our deepest respect towards your family. However your sister… Kali Granger?"

"Just be careful okay Isis?" Zoriaida whispered quietly, Isis nodded, thankful that for once it wasn't just her and Tyson that hadn't liked her sister.

"Do not trust her, sister or no." Ana replied, giving her a short bow before they left her, ready for others to offer their commiseration.

Grandpa! I need you!

"Isis?" The deep sound of a business man unused to speaking in the mother tongue of both his daughters.

"Pater." Her words clear. "I see you have graced us in your presence."

"It is our duty to go to these things." He told her formally, she bristled but kept her tone down.

"And yet my own mother, oh whose father has just died has not came. Why do you feel that you must?" She spoke quietly yet every word was laced with poison.

"Duty, your mother, is not exactly stable is she?"

How much she hated her nuclear family; her father, so cold and calculating, and a sister with a grudge she'd never know why.

"I need to speak to Hiro-san." She said coldly, quickly walking off before he could stop her, no matter how rude it was.


Isis let out a small sigh as people finally began to leave, maybe at last she could get some peace, as much as it touched her and Tyson and Hiro to have people there for them, the three just wanted to be alone, sort out everything. They all wanted to sleep, sleep for an eternity just like their grandpa was, although of course now he was on the family altar, such cold words.

She looked up, her lilac eyes catching sight of a tall blunette at the altar, quietly talking.

Kai.

She didn't notice Kali sneak up behind her.

"He looked very happy with his girlfriend a few days ago. Both of them very loved up. Some blonde thing I think, she was very pretty. Still, not all of us can have gods like him can we?" She spun her sticky lies around her lost sister.

"You lie."

"No, no for once I'm going to enjoy the pain it causes you to see him with somebody else, and best of all, it's the truth." She laughed quietly in her ear. "I have no respect for your boring traditions and ridiculous traditions; but I do like the way he's so cleverly shattered your heart without trying."

"Shut up!"

"It hurts doesn't it? It hurts to think about some body else having the love that you want, just like the way it hurt to see and experience the way he fawns over you and yet he couldn't give a damn about his other daughter; me.

"No, I could never lie about this Isis. Why would I? I don't need to lie about how much scum lies within a man's heart. I heard your friend, calling me a slut; me, a slut?" She made a disbelieving noise. "She could hardly talk the whore that she is."

"SHUT UP!" Isis turned around to face a very satisfied looking Kali.

"It's too much to handle isn't it? My poor little sister, the daughter that her daddy always fawned over, whose mother treat her like a princess before they went away…"

"You have no idea! Leave me alone Kali now!" She was almost crying now.

She checked her watch, and smiled.

"Yes, I'll leave you alone. But I'll tell you this; it's going to be fun watching you wallow in self-pity like you usually do."

"Leave her alone now Yin-chan." Tyson; always there for his cousin.

"Or what Takao-kun, you'll set the family dragon onto me?" She asked, disregarding everything and anything she could.

"Get off my land now." Another voice; Hiro; he seemed furious at his lilac haired step-cousin. "I do not want you at the will tomorrow either. Leave, now." She scowled and left.


The last of the guests to leave.

"Isis? Your turn." Tyson smiled sadly and left the family shrine for Isis to visit.

"Thanks Tyse." She whispered before entering.

She was silent for a while as she sat on the cushion already there, deep in thought before she started.

"Why did you leave me grandpa? I know, I know, I've asked this question so many times and each time I ask it, it makes me to cry.

"I just don't understand, ever since you left (that was only three or four days ago can you believe?) My whole life has turned form paradise to hell. He left me grandpa, you told me that we were going to go through a lot but I didn't think you'd mean…

"I didn't think you'd mean us splitting up.

"He's… He's got another girlfriend now, I know! I know that Ana and Nina and the rest of them told me Kali would lie to me! But, but did you hear the conviction in her voice? She's… Why is she such a bitch towards me?

"He's left me grandpa! He's left me and I don't know what to do! I'm so lost and I'm so scared without you and I'm so confused…" Her tears started to crack her voice.

"And I'm trying not to believe her I really am! It's just what if it's true? What if… what if he was just playing with me? Pretending that he loved me…

"No! No that's not true… he saved me at that time on the island; but, but why is he acting like this? I don't know, I need guidance, help, I need Kai…"

Her last words were choked up with tears as she began to cry, first from silent through to great wracking sobs, tears and snot dribbled down her face as she wept, her whole body shaking and quivering.

Her carefully prepared hair was a mess, unrolling itself and yet not quite unravelled. Her makeup smudged and blotched as salty tears erased it from her face, along with her grievous feelings that had still managed to reside with in her.

"And I know you're in a better place and I love you so much Grandpa, I know I'll never stop, you guided me when ever I was in trouble, please don't let this obstacle get in your way! We all need you, now more than ever!" She managed to get out between sobs as she finally began to calm down.

"I love you grandpa. I'm never stop." She whispered inaudibly, she bowed low and stood up, bowing once more before walking out.

Not noticing the dark shape of a ghost in the corner. It seemed that not only the living were mourning that night.


LunaRavenCroft: Well, since you guys... (meaning my amazing reviewers of course!) Reviewed so much that I gained over 208 reviews... I'm over the 200 mark! Wow! I'm so proud of all of you guys! (hugs you all) Aren't I wonderful? I managed to review twice this week lol.
Okay then, now to my wonderful reviewers!

Wreckless Spirit: Your right, they may be similar but they are also very different. :) You've met her now and you've seen what Kali's like, a bitch.

Storms-Winter: I used to do that, read and not review, that changed however when I started writing this monster of a story. Of now I review everything I read, even if I don't like it.

Beyblade-gal: Wow, I get a monkey... Seriously I'm so amused, I love monkeys! Hehe... I'm not promising anything,and don't worry about being weird, for inside everyone is the little weird person running around naked in our minds, or maybe not come to think about it. :P

Blackdranzergurl: He didn't fail in this one though! Please don't cry! I'm so sorry!

Ms.SoUrPuSs: When you get to know Kali better you can make your decisions then. And yeah... That Hammerburger thingy scares me... (backs quietly away from it) Please don't threaten me...

Tikytikytavvi101: Yesh! I rule! This story only do I rule and only to please my reviewers, but then again, am I your writer? O.o I've confused myself...

Smoke-Angel: Er yeah.. I think I forgot to write in that she meets him on the street outside, don't worry. I'll write it in later, but she did meet him outside of the Osiris's flat.

Dark ShoRyuDan: And I have done!

eMily06: Thank you! I'm glad you like it.

Kausi-chan: Hey!


Well, I'm knackered, it being 1:10am over in the UK. I hope to hear from you guys, you're all amazing.

- Je Mata!

- Luna