Chapter 2: Final Gift

Fuyu watched as her brother, Hana, leapt after a white form. It seemed as though he was successful in catching it at first, but as the brunette leant over for a better look, the tiny figure slipped out of her brother's hands, darted out of the bedroom window before disappearing behind a building.

"Crap," Hana cursed, swiping a lock of blonde fringe off his perspiring forehead and flopping onto the bed beside Fuyu, "If it weren't so fast I swear I could have caught it." Fuyu grinned at her brother's weird hobbies. "You know you will never catch it, and you're not supposed to, anyway. Those are Spirit Flames you're trying to catch, and mum said you're not to even attempt to catch it."

Hana pouted at his sister's comment. "Right. Don't go telling mum about this. She'll skin me alive…"

Glancing out of the window, Hana caught sight of his big sister Mathilda and brother Lyzerg playing with the other children. "Hey look, sis, they've got Mathilda sis blindfolded." He laughed as Fuyu peered over his shoulder. "Isn't that mum and dad?" Fuyu gasped, pointing at two figures sitting on a bench beside the small pond. Hana squinted at where Fuyu was pointing.

Indeed, a young woman with long blonde hair was sitting beside a boyish looking man wearing orange headphones around his neck. Both seem to enjoy watching Mathilda and Lyzerg play with the younger children. "Yeah! It's mum and dad! Let's go down!" Hana exclaimed excitedly, and without saying more, the two youngsters clambered off the bed and ran down to the garden.

Yoh laughed as Mathilda stumbled clumsily around, blindfolded, trying to catch the children surrounding her. Lyzerg grinned and grabbed his daughter, Mayura, out of the way as Mathilda's hands brushed past. Tearing his gaze away from the game, Yoh glanced at Anna, who had a soft, gentle smile on her pretty face as her large brown eyes followed every movement Mathilda made. "Enjoying yourself?"

Abruptly, Yoh broke the silence between them, and Anna nodded slightly, turning to smile at Yoh. He smiled back. "That's good. You looked a little ill this morning." Anna started. "Really?" She asked, surprised. "Yeah. Like as if you had a bad dream or something while you were asleep." Yoh nodded, and Anna hesitated slightly, as if debating if she should tell Yoh what was really wrong. Then, when she saw Fuyu and Hana running over, she decided she won't. Not yet, anyway.

"Mum, dad!" Their children yelled, Fuyu jumping onto Anna and Hana onto Yoh. "What are the two of you doing here, daddy?" Hana asked, looking round at Yoh and Anna with large amber eyes. "Ah, the air is quite fresh, that's why. It's not everyday your uncle Hao decides to take over our duties for the day, you know." Yoh replied, laughing. "What were you two doing for the whole morning?" Anna asked, smoothing Fuyu's long brown hair. "Just talking in our room. We saw a Spirit Flame too." Fuyu answered.

"And Hana didn't try to catch it, did you, Hana?"

Anna's voice was soft, but dangerous, and Hana laughed sheepishly. "Ah…Of course I didn't! Ahahahaha…."

"Really?"

Anna inquired suspiciously,looking at Fuyu for reassurance,and Fuyu nodded, shooting her brother a You-Owe-Me-One look, which Yoh caught, making him guess right away that Hana did try to catch the Spirit Flame again.

"Hey, Fuyu, Hana! Come join us!"

A shout from Mathilda, who had removed her blindfold, made the siblings perk up, and, waving at their parents, they ran madly to where everyone was playing.

"Spirit Flame, huh…" Anna murmured, standing up. "Where are you going?" Yoh asked. "I know whose Spirit that is…" She replied, and Yoh hurried after her, casting sharp glances at his wife as he did so. "Whose is it?" He asked cautiously. Anna stared at him, her expression unreadable.

"Kanna Bismarch."

"KANNA'S DEAD?"

Yoh gasped loudly as Anna shut the room door behind her. "Took you long enough to figure that one out." Anna said dryly. "How'd you know?" Yoh asked with interest. "Because I unconsciously drifted into a trance while I was asleep yesterday night. And I saw Kanna's spirit." Anna replied simply, and Yoh finally understood why Anna looked so pale and sickly when she woke up this morning. And suddenly, without warning, Anna called out, her tone sharp and crisp, "Come out, Kanna, quit hiding."

A misty cloud took shape of a slim, blue-haired woman floating beside the closet. The figure of Kanna Bismarch hovered in front of Yoh and Anna, smirking slightly. Her once long, silky blue hair is now short, a lot like Anna's previous hair length, slightly above her bony shoulders.

"You've got a very lively son, Anna, and a very pretty daughter." Kanna chuckled, and Yoh's jaw dropped as Anna scowled.

"What happened to you?" He yelped, amazed.

"Can't ya tell? I'm dead, you dolt."

"No, I mean, how did you die? And what did you do to your hair?"

"She died because she smoked too much," Anna told Yoh shortly, and Kanna nodded. "To put it bluntly, yes. As for whyI cut my hair…"And two long locks of blue hair appeared in her hands mysteriously, "It isa final gift and memory to Marion and Mathilda." Kanna reached out and handed the hair to Anna. "Why don't you speak to them yourself?" Anna asked, taking the long locks of hair,"It's been a while since you've met. They'd love to see you again."

"I would if I am still alive," Kanna reminded her, "But seeing me like this will only make them cry, which is why I want you to help me give it to them." She smiled for the first time. "It dawned on me that I have nothing much to give them, so all I could do was cut my hair and give it to them as a memory. Also, Will you please tell Hao something?"

Anna rolled her eyes at the mention of Hao. "Ask Yoh. I don't want to talk to Hao too much. His idiocy is contagious." She said crankily, crossing her bony arms. "Go on. What do you want to tell Hao?" Yoh asked. "Tell him 'sorry' and 'thank you'." Kanna replied. "Is that all?" Yoh pressed gently. "Yes, that's all." For a moment, Kanna glanced around, her eyes unusuallybright,and then slowly, she began to fade away. "Thanks for helping me, you two… Ah, Iron Maiden Jeanne wants me to tell you that sheis on her way for a visit. You may expect her to turn up in about 5 days…She's in France now…"

"JEANNE?" Anna exploded, "What is this? An after tournament call! Hey, wait, you! Don't just go!"

Anna's yells didn't stop Kanna, for the woman just smiled and faded slowly away, until no trace of her could be found. Yoh laughed.

"At least we know Jeanne is alive somewhere..."

That night after the Onsen closed for the day, and as soon as the children were worn out with playing and retired to bed together, Anna and Yoh assembled the adults in the living room. Then, wordlessly, Anna placed a lock of hair on Marion and Mathilda's lap each.

For a moment, the girls looked bewildered, until Hao asked, "Where's mine?" and Yoh replied, "Kanna wants me to tell you 'sorry' and 'thank you'."

"Kanna," Mathilda gasped suddenly, and everyone sat up, suddenly alert.

"She was here?"

Anna took a deep breath, and answered,

"She has passed away. That is the final gift she wants to leaveMarion and Mathildawith, without facing you personally, because she was afraid, to see you cry."

And with that, Anna looked away, refusing to look at any of them just then, afraid that her own tears may fall if she saw the pain of losing a friend reflected upon everyone's eyes.

Note: Chapter 2: Completed! I'm really sorry for the long wait, but I can say that this is one chapter you won't be forgetting too soon! Stay tuned for Chapter 3! It will be up pretty soon! Please Review!