"Anas?" Chie asked, staring at the girl. "I've never heard a name like that."

Anas smiled. "Anas is my middle name. Sana's real name was also different, but her middle name was an anagram of my name, so we called each other that."

"So, um, where exactly am I?" Chie asked, scanning the blank, whitish area.

"Inside your mind."

"Oh, wow. Kiku-san's right. I really don't have anything up here." Chie blushed and smiled sheepishly. "I guess I fainted."

Anas laughed. "I guess you did. Now, listen to me, Kaikatsu. I'm not going to hurt you. Nothing bad will happen to you. I just need to apologize to Sana."

Chie nodded. "Sounds fair. If you just want to apologize, I won't stand in your way."

Anas chuckled. "You don't know who I am, do you?"

"Yes. You're . . . Anas, right? A girl inside my mind or something like that."

"Yes, but I'm not an ordinary girl. I'm an angel."

"Angel?"

Wings of brilliant red feathers popped suddenly out of Anas's back. "I know it seems a little strange to you, but for me to speak with you, that must mean that Sana is nearby."

Chie scratched her head. "I've got a couple of questions. Why do you call me Kaikatsu?"

Anas smiled prettily. "That names means 'cheerful and merry'. It describes your personality perfectly."

"Wow, really?" Chie scratched her chin and stared into space. "I guess I'll give you a nickname now. You'll be . . . Anko-chan!"

Anas blinked, visibly surprised. "Anko?" She was picturing a dumpling stuffed with sweet bean paste in her head.

Chie nodded and smiled a great, big smile. "You remind me of those An dumplings."

Anas surprise faded and she smiled again. "All right. What is your next question?"

"Oh, right. Uh, let me remember." Chie reverted to her thinking pose for a few moments and then spoke. "Who is Sana?"

"She is . . ."

"Chie, are you all right?"

Chie opened one eye and immediately closed it. "I don't wanna go to school today," she mumbled.

The class cracked up. Sasaya grabbed Chie's hands and forced her to sit up. "You're already at school. You fell out of your chair and fainted."

"Are you all right?" Risa Harada asked.

Slightly dazed and puffy-eyed, Chie nodded. "Uh-huh." She rubbed her head. "Ow, I think I killed off some more brain cells."

Daisuke noticed Satoshi staring at Chie critically.

"Why are you staring at her like that?" he asked.

Satoshi shook his head. "It's nothing."

"All right, everybody," the teacher said as he clapped his hands. "Enough. Go back to your seats. Ryoyu-imoto, do you feel okay? Are you sick?"

"I'm fine. My head just hurts a little."

"Okay. Niwa, why don't you escort her to the infirmary?"

"Yes, sir."

Daisuke and Chie walked outside and toward the infirmary.

"You gave everyone quite a scare," he said.

Chie smiled sheepishly. "Sorry. I guess I needed a few more minutes of sleep before waking up. I was working on that lame project that Koiko-sensei had assigned us. Are you finished with it?"

Daisuke shook his head. "I haven't even started."

Both laughed.

"So, Chie-san, is it true that you and your family run a bakery?"

Chie nodded and tears pricked her eyes. "It used to be my mom, my dad, me, and my grandmother?"

Daisuke looked confused. "'Used to be'?"

Chie stared at the floor and rubbed her eyes, forcing the tears to go back inside. "My parents died when I was three."

"Oh, I'm sorry."

Chie looked up and smiled. "It's all right. Besides, Ku-chan and Kiku-san are always by my side. Kiku-san is my grandmother and Ku-chan is my sister and my best friend."

Daisuke brightened. "So is your life a good one?"

Chie gave a little bounce and smiled brightly. "It is!"

"I'd sure love to go to your family's bakery and meet your family."

Chie's smile faded as she felt her heart give out a long, sustained beat. Suddenly, the rate of her heartbeats increased. Chie clutched her chest and moaned.

"Chie-san?" Daisuke asked. "Chie-san, what's wrong!"

"It can't be," Dark said.

"What are you talking about?" Daisuke asked.

"Which one is she? Is she Sumiko or Saki?"

"Sumiko? Saki? Who are they?"

"Daisuke, get out of here, quickly!"

"But, Chie-san---"

Chie took a deep breath and her heart slowed down.

"Chie-san?" Daisuke asked. "What happened?"

Still breathing heavily, Chie managed a smile. "I'm all right. Here's the infirmary. I'll just go now."

Daisuke's look of concern didn't fade. "Are you sure you're all right?"

"Yes, yes. Thank you for your concern."

Still unconvinced, Daisuke left and return to his class.

"I must say that I am very disappointed that only two of you have completed the project," Koiko-sensei said. "Of course, the two I'm talking about are Hiwatari and Ryoyu. The rest of you have one more day, but I expect quality work. Class dismissed!"

Chie turned to Daisuke and smiled as if to say, "That's a relief". Daisuke smiled back.

"You look ridiculous," Dark said. "And this couldn't be any worse than it already is."

"What are you talking about?"

"Ugh, never mind."

Daisuke frowned a little. Why was Dark being so moody? Usually, Dark would tease him to no end about not completing his homework. What was going on?

"Dai-kun?"

Daisuke looked up. "Huh?"

Chie blinked. "Why are you talking to yourself?"

Daisuke laughed. "Oh, was I talking to myself?"

"Uh-huh."

Daisuke's face slowly changed to match the color of his hair. "Oh, well, uh, when was I talking to myself?"

Chie cocked her head to one side, the look of confusion still on her face.

"Chie-chan," a voice said.

Chie looked up. "Giku-chan, hi!"

"Come on. We have practice this afternoon, remember?"

"Oh, yeah!" Chie stood up and ran out of the classroom. "See you later, Dai-kun! You can come by the bakery tomorrow if you'd like."

Sasaya stared out the window, thinking, when Satoshi interrupted her thoughts.

"It's happening, isn't it?" he asked.

Sasaya stared at him with confusion. "What?"

"Be careful, Sasaya. Just be careful, all right?"

Satoshi started to leave, but Sasaya grabbed his arm.

"You know, don't you?" she whispered. "You know about this as well, don't you?" She looked up and stared into his blue eyes with her own hazel ones. "After all, you were involved in it, weren't you, Satoshi?"

Satoshi nodded. "Yes. Yes I was." Swiftly, he looked around. The classroom was empty. Still, he leaned over and whispered in Sasaya's ear, "Please meet me at the Akrasia Temple next Saturday. We have to . . . talk."

Sasaya nodded. "Yes."

About Sasaya, if you guessed that I tried to model her after Satoshi, you are . . . correct! She's more intelligent than Chie and she can dance without stepping on the other person's foot, but, for some strange reason, she's extremely quiet. It's super rare for her to raise her voice. She doesn't have many friends, only Chie and maybe Satoshi. Her friendship with Satoshi is probably going to cause great heartache for the both of them later on (at least, I think it will).

Honorifics-and-their-meanings-time! San and Sama both mean "Mr., Miss, and Mrs.", but Sama's more honorable than San. Chan means either "cute, little . . ." and "my dear". Kun means something along those lines as well, but I forgot exactly what. The latter two are used to indicate affection.