Author's Note:

Hi. Black Rose here. I've discovered that my spacing techniques at the time jumps don't work so I'm experimenting with some things. Don't pay any attention to it if it looks weird. Just it means some amount of time has elapsed. There are also some Japanese words that I used as names for some new characters. They have different meanings so I thought I should explain so you will understand the chapter.

Kane-golden

Kiyoshi-Quiet

Chika-Wisdom, intelligence

Thank You. Now back to your story, already in progress.

Moji looked up at the Farris wheel as it went around and around and around. She stiffened slightly. Someone had come up behind her. "Mind if I sit here?" She nodded not looking up. "I'm not coming on to you or anything," he said quickly. "I'm waiting for my sister to get off."

"Yeah, sure."

"Thanks." He said. "I'm Kane, by the way," he said after a few seconds of silence, extending his hand. She shook it then retreated into her own thoughts again. She looked at Kane from the corner of her eye. His name fit him perfectly. He had a thick mane of gold blond hair that looked as if it held the sun itself in its tresses. He had a wonderful gold-brown tan and a great body. He looked just like- Moji's heart started to race as she thought of the possibilities. How long had it been? How long did it take?

"Kane! Kane!" a shrill female voice called. A girl with platinum blond hair bounded up. Well it was supposed to be platinum blond. It looked more like a reverse skunk thing goin on.

"Hi, Chika. How was the ride?" 'Chika?' she thought. She looked so ditzy it was scary.

"It was great!" Moji winced. She hadn't known human voices could go that high. "We had- Oh! ICE CREAM!" she squealed in delight. "Can we, Kane? Please! Please! Please! Please! Pl-"

"Give her the damn money already!" Tinco snapped. She had come up behind them to get Moji. Her ears were starting to bleed. He gave her a 5 and she skipped off with a smile that would make you think he had just crapped a diamond and given it to her.

"Sorry. She can be a little…"

"Ear shattering?" she said trying to stop the ringing in her ears.

"Yeah. She just doesn't realize it," he said with a sheepish smile.

"You're stronger than me. I would have killed her by now." He laughed. A little girl seemed to materialize next to him. Moji jumped. Tinco had heard her coming.

"Kiyoshi! How was the ride?" She looked about six years old and her solemn gray eyes surveyed Tinco as if she were a pile of shit. Moji didn't fair too much better. Tinco returned the gaze. "Did you have fun?" she nodded. "Good. Well, see you around."

"Later," Tinco and Moji said together.

"Let's ride this one next, Kane!"

"Okay, okay! Get in line. Go see if you're tall enough, Kiyoshi." She walked off toward the measuring stick. 'It was weird,' he thought. 'I felt as if I should have known those girls. Who are they? I never even got their names.'

"Kane! Come on! We're next!"

"He looked just like Him." Moji said dully. "What if he's back?" she asked her voice wavering.

"Don't go getting your hopes up. I don't know how long the process takes so don't get excited."

"But there is a possibility?"

"Yeah," Tinco sighed. "A one in a million possibility."

"Then there's still a chance."

"Moji-"

"I know. Don't get my hopes up." Even as she said it Tinco could tell that the information hadn't really sunk in. Moji smiled and they walked on.

They ran into the apartment, laughing hard. "We're soaked!" Tinco said holding her hand against her ribs to ease the stitch that stabbed her so sharply from the run. Thunder cracked loudly outside.

"Mother!" Kurama called into the dark interior of the house. "Mother?" They had been walking around outside holding hands when the rain started to crash to the ground. Kurama's apartment had been closer so they had come here. Kurama walked over to the telephone and pushed a button. It beeped and his mothers voice came on over the din of the storm.

"Hi, honey. I'm at Antoko's. I'm safe. You know where everything is if the power goes out. Typhoons can get very dangerous, be careful. I love you. Bye." The phone clicked off. Then clicked on again. "Alright. It's getting bad. Call me if you can when you get in. Love you, bye." Kurama had picked up the phone and started to dial when a huge crack of thunder shot through the air and the lights went out.

"Well," he said with a sigh. "The phone's out." He went to the door and turned all of the locks and made sure that all of the deadbolts were completely closed. He went to the pantry and picked up two hurricane lamps and two flashlights. He lit the lamps and took one into the bathroom. He closed and barred the shutters on the windows. He went to his room and got a pair of pajama pants and a t-shirt. He came down and gave them to Tinco. "Put these on and give me your clothes. Bathroom's up the stairs at the end of the hall." Tinco dried her hair and put on the clothes.

When she came out and went down stairs Kurama was waiting for her, already changed and rubbing his hair dry with a towel. "Want to play a game?"

"What?"

"Poker?"

"No. Strip chess." She saw the fire light his emerald eyes. He licked his lips.

"Alright." They went upstairs to his room with the remaining lamp and Kurama got the cards. "Equal clothes items. I've got on three, which leaves you with four. I'll let you keep all your clothes. You're going to need them."

"Oh really?"

"Yeah. Really. I plan to get you out of those clothes with a quickness."

"Talk is cheep," she said as she moved her first piece.

Over an hour later, clad in only her bra and panties, Tinco looked over at Kurama and thought he was far to smug, dressed in pants and what ever he had on under his pants. One question kept playing itself over and over in her mind: boxers or briefs? It was driving her crazy, and she might just find out. "Check," she said on a sigh. A fox against a cat. They had only played three games in an hour and 45 minutes. She wanted to run her hands over every inch of him.

"If you could take your eyes off my chest for two minutes you would know it's your turn," he said with a smirk. She grinned and moved her queen.

"Check."

"Mate," he said knocking over his own king. "You win again," he said standing to unzip and unbutton his pants. They slid to the floor and she finally got her answer. Nothing…………… Nothing but a pair of boxer-briefs. They set up for another game and two more hours later had Tinco in only a bra and in grave danger in losing it. Twenty minutes later Kurama sat back and moved his rook. "Check." He smirked, knowing she had no more moves left to make. "You chose this game, knowing that it would take hours to get you naked, didn't you?"

"Yes," she said with smug smile.

"Well, strip girl!" She slowly unclasped her bra and slipped it off. She sat there naked; she could feel his eyes touching every part of her body. It turned her stomach to Jell-O. He slowly came over and took her into his arms. He kissed her slowly taking his time. He lay her down on the carpet and lay down on top of her. He kissed the slender column of her throat and gently bit her earlobe, making her shiver. He sat back suddenly leaving her dazed as she watched him reach into the pocket of his discarded pants and removed a small velvet box.

From it he lifted a delicately wrought silver chain, and fastened it about her neck. "Kurama?" She asked, curiously, she ran her fingers along the fine links until she encountered the single pendant lying in the shadow between her breasts. Lifting the piece, she discovered a perfect, shining silver heart, a sparkling diamond in its very center.

Kneeling before her, Kurama circled his arms about her waist. In a voice brimming with emotion, he said," You are the keeper of my heart."