Dear Readers,

Ever tried a triple kick before? Painfully hard… try one!

Love,

Wolf Princess Aya

Lasting Memories

Keiko sat on her bed later that night, head in her hands as she looked out her window and into the dark, starlit sky. She sighed and played with the ring on her finger, twisting it and turning it until the cool gold turned hot in her hands.

'I just wanted to say that I'm sorry if I insulted you somehow. I didn't mean to.' With another sigh, Keiko flopped back on her bed, her eyes burning a hole through the ceiling.

'Why can't he just leave me alone?' she thought, grumbling quietly. 'Even when he's not here he's getting on my nerves!' She grabbed her pillow out from under her head and screamed into it in frustration. All her pent up anger from Yusuke, Botan's disappearance, and her painful walk down memory lane when it came to romance all rushed angrily through her.

Suddenly, her eyes widened. Botan…. Where was Yusuke told her she was again? That's right.

The castle… as a maid… Seething, Keiko silently cursed Hari and that thick headed prince. Rolling over onto her stomach, the girl silently decided to visit her friend in the morning.

And if she "accidentally" gave Hari or Kurama a bloody lip, so be it. She wasn't letting Botan get hurt like she was so long ago…

The dawn shone bright and sunny as Keiko walked down the road, humming to her. Despite the fact that she was going there to comfort a friend, Keiko felt almost cheerful.

It was a gorgeous day, and she hadn't been out for a while.

Carrying a few essentials for Botan in a basket- chocolate, books, a blanket, some candles and a few matches- Keiko made her way to the palace, her spirit lighter then it had been for a while.

"WAKE UP YOU WRECHED GIRL!" Botan shot out of bed and looked into the face of an angry Hari.

The younger girl backed away slowly.

"Do you know what TIME it is!" Hari hissed, grabbing a chunk of Botan's hair and pulling while the girl winced in pain.

"Um. . ." Botan whimpered with no idea of the time.

"You've overslept 15 minutes!" she glared. '15 MINTUES? That's ALL?' Botan thought, angry, but still afraid of what Hari would do to her. Throwing the maid back against the bed, Hari snarled. "Be downstairs and ready to serve breakfast in FIVE MINUTESS," she glared, turning on her heal and storming out of Botan's little room.

Botan sat, doing nothing but breathing, for a moment.

Then, wiping her eyes so as not to cry in hopelessness, Botan put on her new, navy colored servants dress, and put her hair in a pony tail. With one more desperate look to the sky in prayer, she walked down the stairs, repeating to herself over and over that it would be okay.

But she wasn't sure if it would be...

Keiko looked at the high, stone wall that surrounded the perimeter of the castle.

Around 10 feet high and 2 feet thick in length, made of bright colored stone and covered in blooming ivy, the wall was built more for decoration then protection.

Either way, it was going to be a pain to get over.

Keiko groaned, rolled up her sleeves, and began her first attempt to scale up the wall.

'What a lovely morning,' Yusuke thought blissfully, opening the door to the yards and taking a deep breath of the morning air. 'It's so beautiful out here!'

He walked happily to the edge to the wall and leaned his back against it, letting the sun warm his face, and taking a good look around at all the beauty of the castle and its gardens.

'It really is a great day to be alive-' he began to think, when something large fell on top of him with a muffled groan.

"Or dead," Yusuke moaned painfully as he opened his eyes, gritting his teeth, to see Lady Keiko, lying on his lap, rubbing her head.

"Blast it!" she groaned to her self, as she opened her eyes and saw Yusuke. She fell back, landing on her behind. "You!"

" Keiko!" he cried happily. "How wonderful it is to see your beautiful face on such a lovely morning! Only you can brighten my spirits so on a day as already glorious as this!"

"Oh, shut up," Keiko said, though Yusuke swore that, for a brief moment, a light pink blush had crossed her face. "I don't have the time to be lied to by you."

"But I'm not lying!" Yusuke replied honestly, standing and reaching down to help Keiko. She pushed his hand away though, and stood without any help.

"Whatever," she rolled her eyes, crossing her arms and striking a superior stance- - -

Until her leg crumpled beneath her. She muttered a silent string of curses under her breath as she lowered herself back down to the ground.

"Keiko!" Yusuke cried, instinctively helping her sit back down, "are you okay?"

She said nothing, only fiddled with the basket in her hands.

"Look," she said suddenly, a few minutes later, glaring up at the vizier, "can you just tell me where Botan is? I need to talk to her and give her this basket-"

"Not with your leg like that! You're going to go home. Write Botan a note and I'll give the basket to her," Yusuke said sternly. Keiko looked up at him and realized he was right. Curses.

"But what with?" she asked dryly, a few moments later as she realized neither of them had any writing utensils.

"Err- - - tell you what. You give me a message, and I'll pass it on verbally to her."

"Fair enough," Keiko sighed. "But how do I get out of here now?"

"I'll have a carriage take you back," Yusuke said simply, picking her up bridal style. He was sure he saw a blush this time.

"Just be very careful where you place you hands," Keiko warned dangerously. Yusuke did as he was told.

As they reached the carriages and Yusuke summoned a foot man, Keiko allowed herself a secret peak at the vizier.

Why hadn't he turned her in, after she broke into the castle?

Why was he helping her after the way she had treated him?

Why was he being so kind?

"Well," Yusuke said suddenly, startling Keiko out of her thoughts, "it looks like it's time for you to go!"

"Yeah. . ." Keiko said quietly as she handed Yusuke the basket while he helped her into the carriage.

"Anything you want me to tell Botan?" he asked smiling, while Keiko settled into the comfortable carriage seat.

"Just that I say hi, and that she better get in contact with me soon," she said, slightly uncomfortable with Yusuke smiling at her.

"No problem!" Yusuke grinned. "One more thing."

"What's that?" Keiko asked, confused.

"Smile a little," Yusuke chuckled, running a finger gently down her cheek once. "It makes you look beautiful."

Before Keiko could react at all, Yusuke kissed her on the cheek, shut the door, and the carriage began to trundle away.

Yusuke smiled, waved, and turned back to go inside, whistling to himself like nothing had happened.

Keiko watched him blankly the whole time, her hand raised to her cheek, where his kiss was still warm.

Oh! Yusuke's making his move now…

Aya-chan