Hey Everyone!

I've finally written the first chapter in the sequel to Confessions in a Meadow! This story takes place 1 year after the events in Confessions and is obviously centered around Xianghua and Kilik. In later chapters there will be cameos from other Soul Calibur characters. I just want to give a special thanks to Jin Akanishi whose super nice review of Confessions inspired me to start the sequel that I had been putting off. I hope you all enjoy the first chapter of My One and Only Love!

Please Review!

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters in this story. They all belong to NAMCO.

My One and Only Love

Chapter One: A Surprise Arrival

The sunlight slowly crept over the sill of the open window, bringing with it a warm breeze that gently ruffled the curtains. As they slid across the floor towards the bed in the middle of the room, they glittered off a sword resting against a wooden chest before alighting on a figure huddled under the covers. The figure stirred and the blankets shifted, revealing the sleeping form of Chai Xianghua. A look of displeasure crossed her face as the light reached it and she buried her head further into the pillow. "Kilik, the light's bothering me." She mumbled as she rolled over only to find an empty space where someone should have been. Her eyes shot open and she sat up, blearily looking around the room, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. 'That's strange.' She thought. 'Kilik usually sleeps later than me.' Xianghua got out of bed and slipped a robe over her nightclothes. She searched the small house they shared before coming to the conclusion that Kilik must be working in town. 'He never forgets to tell me when he has to wake up early for a job.' Xianghua furrowed her brow, racking her brain for a possible explanation. She shrugged her shoulders. 'Kilik probably told me yesterday and I just forgot.' With that settled, Xianghua gathered her bathing things.

'I love living here.' Xianghua sighed contentedly as she walked down the wooded path to the small pond located behind their house. "I couldn't be happier." She thought aloud. Upon reaching her destination, Xianghua removed her clothing and dove into the pond. She swam the length of the pond a couple of times before coming to rest in the middle. As she watched the clouds drift lazily by, her thoughts turned to the events of the past year. After Kilik's confession of love, they had moved to a small town about a two mile ride from the capitol of the Ming Empire. Here they had bought a relatively large piece of land and built a modest home. They maintained their comfortable lifestyle by opening a delivery service in town that sent them to various places throughout the Ming Empire. They were very happy in their current situation but a seed of doubt had planted itself in Xianghua's mind. Lately, Kilik had been acting strangely. He always seemed very nervous around her and would disappear without giving notice.

A sharp whinny brought Xianghua back into reality and her face broke into a smile as she opened her eyes to look for the source of the sound. Another whinny brought her gaze to a fence that bordered the pond. Behind it stood her beloved white horse, Qun Hua. Kilik had given Qun Hua to her shortly after they had moved in and began their delivery service. He had constructed the stable in secret and had bought Qun Hua, and his horse Yin Ying, a magnificent black stallion, from a horse breeder in the capitol. "I bet you want some attention." She asked her horse whose response was an impatient stomp of a hoof and a loud snort. Xianghua walked out of the pond and dried herself off. She quickly dressed and walked over to the fence, nimbly hoisting herself over it. Qun Hua immediately came over and nuzzled Xianghua's neck. "I'm glad to see you too." She whispered as she ran her fingers through Qun Hua's long mane. "How about I give you a nice grooming, would you like that girl?" Xianghua laughed as Qun Hua began to walk towards the stable. "I'll take that as a yes." She said before following her horse. As she walked through the stable, she stopped at one of the stalls to greet the large stallion that currently had his head buried in some hay. "You know Yin Ying, you and Kilik are a lot alike. You two are always eating." A nip on her shirt reminded her that she had promised her horse a thorough grooming. "All right Qun Hua, just let me get your brush."

A half hour later Xianghua headed back up the path towards her home. As she neared the house she heard noises coming from the courtyard. 'It sounds like two people having an argument' she thought as she quietly made her way around the house. Xianghua leaned up against the side of the house to try and figure out who was arguing in front of her home. "Hey man I was just kidding! Wait! Don't mess up my hair; it took me forever to get it to look this good!" The sudden realization of who the voice belonged to made Xianghua's heart skip a beat and she quickly rounded the corner. "Maxi?" The sound of her voice caused the two men, who were currently wrestling on the ground, to look up with a start. "Oh, hey Xianghua," Said the taller man as he stumbled to his feet and dusted off his pants. "It is you Maxi!" Xianghua exclaimed, running into Maxi's waiting arms. After being spun around and hugged tightly, Xianghua stepped back to examine the face of her dear friend. "It's been almost six months and you haven't changed a bit." At that comment Maxi gave her a sweeping bow and kissed her hand. "You, on the other hand, grow lovelier with each passing month. I bet Mr. Serious over there has to beat of all your love struck suitors with that big stick of his." "Very funny Maxi," Kilik said before turning towards Xianghua. "Don't I get a hug, especially since I haven't seen you all morning?" Xianghua laughed before throwing her arms around Kilik's neck and giving him a quick peck on the cheek. "There, are you satisfied now?" She said as she playfully tweaked his nose. Before she knew what was happening, Kilik had captured her lips in a passionate kiss. "Hey you two, if you're going to make out all day could you at least point me in the direction of the kitchen, I could use something to eat. I'm starving!" Kilik and Xianghua pulled apart, a slight blush staining their cheeks. "I'm sorry Maxi, the kitchen is this way." With that Xianghua turned and entered the house followed by Kilik and Maxi.

There you have it folks! The first chapter has been completed! FYI: Qun Hua means blossom in Chinese, and Yin Ying means shadow in Chinese. I hope you all liked it. Hopefully I can update again before I go on vacation in April! Don't forget to review.

Ja Ne

Inukag1188