It's time for a new chapter! So, I said this chapter would pick up from where the last one left off, and that's exactly what's going to happen.

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Touya sat on the couch dumbstruck. He seemed to have lost the ability to do everything accept think. 'What just happened?' Touya licked his lips, and just stared at nothing. The room was completely dark, and, assuming Botan is asleep, he figured he was the only one still awake. He decided he'd sleep, and worry about everything the next day. There's no point in asking questions, if no one's going to be there to answer them. Touya grabbed a blanket, plopped onto the futon, and drifted off into a deep sleep.

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The room seemed to have an unusual chill. As Botan slept, she shivered, though she was under a comforter, a heavy one at that. Though she was freezing, Botan didn't get up. Outside, the moon shined brightly into Botan's room, and it, along with the trees outside, made rather creepy shadows on the wall. A small breeze was lingering about, and carrying pebbles to the window, where they threw themselves against it. It was if the outside was beckoning her to come and play. The slight breeze turned into a howling wind, and Botan couldn't help but open her eyes. Was it morning already? It sure didn't fell like it. Nonetheless, Botan slipped into her pink Kimono, put on some sandals, and rushed outside. The clouds in the sky shifted, showing a very bright sun. All of the sudden, peonies and roses started popping out of the ground, and soon enough, Botan was surrounded by them. Their sweet aroma drifted into Botan's nose, and she looked as if she were in heaven. After taking in the flower's sweet smell, Botan looked around, and saw a lonely figure. She called out, but the person didn't respond. 'Maybe they can't hear me. I'll try going over there.' She thought. As she approached the person, she discovered the person was a young man, a very familiar looking young man. He was very young, about 20 or so, and he wasn't with anybody. "Excuse me." Botan didn't seem to have been heard, so she tried talking a little louder. "Excuse me." But there was no respond. "STOP IGNORING ME!" Still, it was no use, he didn't move. Botan went to touch him, but she just passed right through him. "What?" Botan thought aloud. "Am I dead? Why did I pass right through him?" She tried again, but the same thing resulted. Eventually, the boy looked up, and Botan gasped. It was Touya. She had had a hard time recognizing him from the back. That's why he looked so familiar. She just stared at him for a moment, until he started to talk, then she listened attentively.

"Why did you leave me here, all alone?" Touya asked, posing the question to know one.

"We promised to be together forever, and now you're gone. You didn't even say goodbye." Now, tears started to run down Touya's face. Botan still listened. "I'll never forgive you ya know. I will be forever mad until you come back, or until I leave too." Botan looked puzzled. 'What does he mean, or until I leave too' Botan wondered. "I can't believe you're gone" Touya whispered, but not quiet enough for Botan not to hear. As she continued to focus on Touya, she saw him reach to the side and grab some distant flowers, all peonies, not roses. She was standing behind him, so she couldn't see what he was doing. Touya placed the flowers on the floor, and started to speak again. "These were your favorite flowers, so I'll give these to you as a departing gift. Not a goodbye gift, 'cause I'll see you again, someday…" His words trailed off, and Botan felt sorry for him. Touya sat there a few minutes longer, in silence, and then he said four words. "I love you, Botan." After he said that, he got up, and started to walk away. Botan stood there. She wanted to say something, but she couldn't. The words just wouldn't come out. It wasn't until then that she looked down and realized that he had meant when he said 'or until I leave too'. Botan dropped to her knees. In front of her was a cross with her named carved into it. The area around the cross was bare, for the flowers had been removed, to make the cross visible. Botan started to cry. For herself, and for leaving Touya.

"I'm so sorry, Touya. I didn't mean to, I really didn't." The tears streamed down her face, and they seemed to never end. The beautiful, bright, sky turned into an ugly black and purple one. The once ever so white clouds turned gray, and they started to drip with rain. Soon after, the thunder came. The ground began to become muddy, the wind howled, and Botan was left all alone in an empty field of dying flowers. She sat there for a moment, then got up slowly. In place of all the dying flowers, twigs and branches started to appear from the ground. They caught on her kimono as she walked, and it became torn and cut up. Her blue hair had become loose from it's neat, tight, ponytail, and was now plastered to her face. She didn't really want to go anywhere, because the rain seemed to suit her mood, so she stopped walking, looked up into the night sky and screamed as loud as she could. Then, out of nowhere, appeared a slimy, black creature that grabbed her, and dragged her underground. She started to scream again.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

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Touya sat up quickly. It was Botan. "I'm coming Botan!" He rushed over to his room, where Botan was staying, and started to shake her, to get her up. Through the window, Touya looked up at the sky. It was very ugly. It was gray, dripping with rain, and the wind seemed to be slicing through it. Botan stopped screaming, and woke up. As soon as she realized Touya was with her, she latched onto him.

"I'm so sorry Touya. I didn't mean to leave you…I really didn't. I was dead and-and…" Botan burst into tears, and Touya pulled her closer, comforting her, and kissing the top of her head.

"Shhhhhhhh, it's okay now, Botan, I'm here now."

"B-but, I was the one tha- that was gone…"

"You just had a nightmare, that's all, but it's okay, I've got you." Botan looked up at Touya through puffy, red eyes, and sniffed.

"I'm scared to go back to sleep."

"Why?"

"I don't want to go anywhere, I don't want you to go anywhere either."

"I'm not going anywhere, I'm going to stay with you until you fall asleep, kay?" Botan shook her head vigorously against his shirt.

"Don't leave me here, alone. I don't want to be alone." The thunder outside grew louder, and Botan jumped. "I want you to stay in here with me, even after I fall asleep, 'cause if I wake up in the night and you're not here, then I'm going to get scared." Touya looked at Botan and smiled. She looked cute when she cried too.

" Okay, Botan. I'll stay here, but you have to try and go back to sleep." Botan nodded her head slowly and let go of him. Touya wiped away her tears with the comforter, and laid down. Botan also laid down, but she rested her head on his chest. Touya cocked his head to look at her, and noticed she'd already fallen asleep. He tangled his fingers in her baby blue hair, and fell asleep too.

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Touya and Botan slept soundlessly for the rest of the night. Touya was the first to wake. While he lay there, he watched Botan sleep, and rubbed her back. With that motion Botan awoke. She lifted her violet eyes to look at Touya, only to meet with his blue ones. They smiled at each other, and made no movement to get up. They felt comfortable and saw no reason to rush the day. For the rest of the morning they just laid there. They got up only to eat, even that was a reluctant gesture.

Around 2:00 they decided to go on a walk to clear their heads. Unlike last night, the sky was a brilliant shade of baby blue, and there wasn't a cloud in sight. The day was calm, there wasn't even a gentle breeze. They decided the best place to spend a day such as today was at the park. When they arrived, there were only a few a kids running around, and the rest of the people there, which weren't many, were couples, enjoying the day such as themselves. Botan rushed from Touya's side over to the swings. It was her favorite place. Touya came up behind her, gave her a gentle push, then retired to the swing beside her. They swung, and chatted the whole time they were there.

>>>>In a tree at the park>>>>

The park was the perfect place to take a nap on a day like today. So why couldn't Hiei sleep? Hiei put his hands over his ears and shut his eyes tight. "Why won't they shut the hell up?' he thought. 'I'm just trying to sleep, and then here come Touya and Botan just cha-what! Touya and Botan! What are they doing here…at the same time? This I've got to hear.' Hiei jumped out of the tree and made his way towards the swings, where they were sitting.

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Botan was just telling Touya the end of her dream, when she was interrupted by Hiei.

"Hiei?"

"Hi Botan. Touya. What brings you to the park on a day such as this?'

Touya stared at Hiei. 'Damn it! How come whenever I get to go somewhere with Botan someone is always there to ruin it!' Touya thought about asking the question, but decided not to make a complete idiot out of himself. So he settled for annoying Hiei so he'd leave.

"Well, what brings you to the park on a day such as today?"

"Sleep."

"Where, exactly?"

"In a tree."

"Why?"

"Because."

"Because why?"

"Because I said because."

"Because you said because why?"

"….." Touya could tell he was getting on the little youkai's nerves. It put a smile on his face.

"Look. I don't play games. Tell me why you two are together."

"Why?"

"Because I'm telling you to tell me."

"So."

"So! So tell me, now!"

"Are we not allowed to go to the park?"

"Well, yeah, but-Hey! Just answer the damn question."

"We're at the park because we didn't feel like being in the house all day. Make you feel any better?"

"Hn."

"Now what?"

"I don't believe you, I think you two are going together. I've got my eye on you two." Hiei looked from Touya to Botan, and then in the blink of an eye, he was gone. Touya and Botan stared at the empty space where Hiei stood, and then started to laugh. For no reason at all they just laughed and couldn't seem to stop. They went back to the swings and Botan finished telling Touya about her dream.

Later on in the day, the ice cream man came, and Touya bought ice cream for Botan and himself. They walked home together eating their ice cream. When they arrived at the house they went upstairs (when did they get an upstairs?), climbed through the window, and sat on the flat rooftop. There they sat and watched the sky turn from brilliant baby blue, to a breath-taking red-orange. The sunset was the most beautiful thing Botan had seen since she'd been there. As the night came, so did a chilly breeze. Botan started to get cold, and shivered slightly. Touya noticed and offered her his jacket. He was starting to take it off, but Botan stopped him.

"It's pretty cold out here." She looked down at her ice cream, then back at him. "We can share." Touya stopped his movement, and looked up into the sky. Botan moved towards him, and snuggled close.

The sun had set, and now the night was beginning to fall. The stars looked like glitter in the midnight blue sky. There wasn't a sound around except for crickets playing a soothing lullaby with the help of the gentle, chilly breeze. Botan had fallen asleep on Touya, yet again (what, that's the third time now?), and like always, he didn't seem to mind. He shifted her so he could get up. He then carried her into the room and laid her down gently onto the bed. Botan opened her eyes slowly, and then they closed once more. Touya brushed a stray piece of hair from her face and tucked it behind her ear. He was about to walk out the door when he thought he heard his name being called.

"Touya." A soft gentle voice whispered his name, and he turned around. Botan had her hand stretched out towards him, and her finger slightly motioned for him to come. He made his way towards her, and stood at the bedside.

"Thank you. I had a lot of fun today…we'll do this again sometime?"

"Of course we will."

Botan smiled and fell into a deep slumber. Touya made sure she was asleep before heading to bed. As he walked down the hall he thought to himself. 'Who knew nightmares could be so rewarding.' He smiled on the inside and headed down the hall.

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The Nightmare is over! Hey, that had a nice ring to it…O.o…gomen, sometimes I get a little spacey. Any ways, stay tuned for the next chapter.

Next time on Forgotten Love: Secrets, Lies, and Feelings of Betrayal

"How are we going to do that?"

"I don't know, we'll figure something out."

"Why are you guys messing with them, just leave them alone already."

"What do you know, any ways? Nobody asked you."

"Then why am I here? If I recall, you are the one who asked me to help with your plan. Therefore, you did ask."

"Shut…up…"

Are ya lost. Good, you should be. To find out what the hell is going you have to read the next chapter. See ya there!