Chapter 2: Before PART TWO

Normal POV:

"Okay here it comes!" Yuko yelled and threw out the ball that was in her hand.

The ball zoomed through the air with great speed but suddenly a dust of wind blew up, causing the ball to slow down.

Kuriko jumped up and caught the ball. "Yay! I got it!"

Yuko stopped running while panting. "Let's take a break."

"But we only played for like ten minutes!" Kuriko ran up to Yuko and tugged the white-haired girl's sleeve.

"Yes, ten minutes running non-stop," Yuko added, walking over to a bench and sat down, Kuriko sat down next to her with a huff.

"You're so~ unfit! I thought my sister was the fat one!" she complained.

Yuko flicked her forehead. "Ouch, what was that for?!" Kuriko cried.

"For calling me unfit and your sister fat," Yuko replied.

"But it's the truth!" the light redheaded girl protested, "All my sister ever eats is sweet…sweet…sweet!"

Yuko sat back and gazed up at the sky. "That's why your sister is so full of energy, she runs around all the time and she's not fat. Plus, you also eat a lot of sugars." Yuko closed her eyes and heard Kuriko let out a huff.

"Then sing a song for me," Kuriko said. Yuko opened one eye and gazed sideways at her. "Please," Kuriko blinked her puppy dog eyes.

Yuko smiled and started singing…

Along the wind where are the fallen leaves going?
Only leaving behind a trail in the sky
that tingling voice like an angel's song
blew over our happy land

Love once came to our place
reminding us the beautiful world we're in
that familiar warmth, like an angel's wing
swept over my empty heart

Believing you're still here, never leaving
my love like an angel will watch over you
please put trust in me
that if one day I disappear
I'll find an angel to watch over you

*humming*

Love once came to our place
Remembering yesterday's memories
reminding me our world full of wonder
that familiar warmth, like an angel's wing
swept over our lost souls

Believing you're still here, never leaving
my love like an angel will look after you
please believe in me
that if one day I vanish
I'll find an angel to watch over you

*humming*

Believing you're still here, and will never leave
my love like an guardian angel will forever watch over you
please trust and put faith in me
that if one day I disappear and never come back
I'll find another angel to watch over you

I'll find another guardian angel…..to love you for me

Kuriko clapped when the song was finished. "Even listening to it so many times that song is still my favourite!" she squealed and jumped up, standing on the bench. "I also want to be an angel!"

"Then you'll have to die first, you want that?" Yuko teased.

"No, what I meant is that I want to be like a hero angel," Kuriko said and spread out her arms pretending they're wings, "That I can be an angel and human at the same time."

Yuko snorted and stood up, picking up the ball and back away from the bench. "Okay do your dreaming at night," she called and threw the ball at Kuriko. Kuriko caught it and jumped off the bench.

"Do you believe in angels?" Kuriko asked as she played with Yuko, throwing the ball back and forward.

"Yeah, and you?" Yuko said.

"Of course or else why do I even want to be a hero angel," Kuriko said and threw the ball hard into the air but Yuko jumped up and caught it.

Yuko's phone suddenly started ringing. "Give me a second," Yuko said and tossed the ball to Kuriko. Yuko pulled out her phone and held it to her ear, "Hello?"

"Hello, Yuko-san?!" Kuriko's mom's voice sounded on the other end.

"Ms. Akatsutsumi, can I help you?" Yuko asked.

"Yes, Kuriko is still with you right?"

Yuko glanced sideways at Kuriko who's playing with the ball. "Yes she's next to me. Is something wrong?"

"Oh Yuko-chan! What must I do?!" Ms. Akatsutsumi's voice suddenly turned into sobs.

Yuko glanced at Kuriko again and quickly walked a little away from the girl. "What happened?"

"*sniff* I just got a call from the restaurant Belle works at…..they said someone filled the building with poisonous gas…..thirteen people didn't get out in time…and….and…Belle is one of them!" Ms. Akatsutsumi cried.

Yuko held her breath. "Belle?"

"Yes….yes…but….that's not all…."

Yuko bit her bottom lip as she waited for Ms. Akatsutsumi to carry on.

"Momoko….ran into a five floor apartment that's on fire and saved a child…..but she too didn't get out."

Yuko's eyes widened and whispered, "No…..not Momoko too. Are they…..both?"

"I'm afraid so….."

Yuko lowered her gaze. "I see," she murmured, "Should I tell Kuriko?"

"No! That's why I'm telling you this. I want Kuriko to stay with you longer until I get to the scene myself, will you do that for me? This will affect Kuriko's emotions a lot, knowing both her cousin and sister…."

"Of course," Yuko cut in, "I'll take care of Kuriko for now."

Kuriko looked over at Yuko who is talking on her cellphone then turned her attention back on her ball, bouncing it onto the floor then caught it again, bouncing it onto the floor then caught it again. The ball suddenly slipped out from Kuriko's grasp and bounced off onto the road next to the park.

Kuriko ran to the side of the road and looked around for cars but there was none so she ran after her ball onto the road.

"Yes Ms. Akatsutsumi, I know what to do," Yuko said and turned around to look at Kuriko who is running across the road. Out of the corner of her eye Yuko caught a glimpse of movement.

Yuko turned her head and her eyes widened when she saw a car raced towards Kuriko at lightning speed. "Kuriko!" Yuko screamed and ran forward, dropping her phone.

"Yuko? Yuko-san?!" Ms. Akatsutsumi's panic voice rang in the speaker.

Kuriko looked up and her eyes widened with horror.

Yuko ran like she'd never run before, everything went in slow motion except for her. Hoping that she had enough time to pull Kuriko off the road but within seconds the car was already few steps away from her. Yuko with all her might shoved Kuriko off the road.

Kuriko skidded across the ground, the hard floor scratched her skin as she came to a stop. She slowly sat up and rubbed her head in pain. "Wha..?" she looked up and her blood ran cold.

"Sister Yuko!" she screamed.

There in the middle of the road, laid the motionless body of Yuko's.

Kuriko scrambled over to the white-haired girl, tears streaming down her face.

A small pool of blood slowly formed around Yuko's head.

"Sister Yuko?" Kuriko gently lifted Yuko's head to rest on her lap.

Yuko stared up at Kuriko, the white part of her left eyes turned red from the blood. "Are you okay?" she wheezed.

"You shouldn't be worried about me right now!" Kuriko cried. She looked up, some people have stopped to see what's going on. "Please! Someone call the ambulance!"

Some of them furiously fished out their cellphone and started calling the ambulance while a few women rushed to the girls.

Kuriko brushed away a few stray hairs that covered Yuko's eyes, her tears dripped onto Yuko's cheeks. "You'll be okay sister Yuko, help will come in no time."

Yuko smiled faintly. "I don't think there'll be enough time if you ask me."

"No! There will be!" Kuriko insisted. "Things are not supposed to be this way! I'm so sorry, I should've been more careful…..but the car just…..came out of nowhere….."

"No, it's not your fault, accidents happen," Yuko wheezed, "I'm just glad you're okay."

Kuriko cried harder just hearing those words. "I'm so… so… so… sorry…."

"Your mom told me to look after you," Yuko said, gasping for air, "I cannot disappoint her…..your sister would've done the same."

Kuriko hugged Yuko close. The noise of the ambulance could be heard in a distance.

"Just hang in there Yuko-nee," Kuriko urged, "They're coming."

Yuko reached up one shaky hand and patted Kuriko's head. "Seems like my fate will be like Momoko and Belle's," she whispered, "I hope Miyako, Kaoru and Kenero will be fine on their own…."

Kuriko's eyes widened. "What do you mean?!"

The faint smile never left Yuko's lips. "Be strong."

"No! Yuko! No!" Kuriko cried, but Yuko's hand had already dropped down to her side. The cold ground slowly sucked the warmth out of her body.

Kuriko threw back her head and screamed as Yuko's eyes slowly dulled, and her head rolled to one side.

Kaoru's POV:

"Whoa!" I let out a cry when my feet slipped over a rock.

Dai's hand shot out and yanked me to me feet again.

We watched as the rock stumbled down the steep cliff.

"Hey, be more careful," Dai warned when the rock fell out of sight, "There'll be more cliffs higher on this mountain."

I nodded.

Dad had thought it'll be good for us to go out once in a while so he brought us here to climb this mountain. Mom stayed at home since this kind of activity isn't her type…..

But to be honest…..this mountain is really high…..

We climbed up to a woodland part of the mountain.

I struggled as a rock chipped into my hand as I pulled myself up. It wasn't bad, the smell of pines and the fresh air, but the bad part was that Shou was ahead of me, I mean, how in the hell does that pipsqueak get so far ahead.

"Slow down stupid," I yelled sharply, "This isn't a race!"

"You're just saying that because you're the loser!" Shou yelled back as he sped up his place.

"I'm serious, you're gonna fall if you're not careful," I snapped and turned to look behind me. "Dad! Shou will get lost!"

"That's my boy," Dad laughed as he slowly made his way to me, followed by Dai.

"Dad!" I scowled.

"Shou!" Dai called as dad laughed.

Shou stopped far ahead and turned to us, waving. "Quick!"

"Coming!" dad yelled back as he started forward again. Dai ruffled my hair as he walked pass me. I rolled my eyes as I hurried to catch up with them.

We're nearly at the top but decided to rest in the woodland for a bit.

Dai started taking photos of the animals and plants here while dad took a nap.

I sat crossed leg on the grass, poking at a row of ants passing by with a twig.

I glanced up at my dad as he snored away against a tree.

I sighed and stood up, stretching out my arms high above my head, noticing Shou had wondered off a little.

"Dai!" I called at him as he focused his camera on something. "I'm going to keep an eye on Shou!"

Dai didn't look up as he replied, "Okay, just don't run off too far."

I nodded and went up to Shou, giving him a light punch on his arm. "What you doing, kiddo. You shouldn't go far away."

Shou pulled me down slightly, pressing a finger to his lips. "Shhhhh." He pointed up into a tree. I followed his finger and saw a few squirrels.

"Oh….squirrels, just like you," I teased.

One squirrel suddenly jumped off the branch and took off into the woods, Shou chased after it.

"No wait!" I yelled, shooting a glance back at Dai and dad but they weren't paying any attention so I have no choice but to follow my air-headed brother.

"Shou!" I shouted as I ran after him as fast as I could, I'm a fast runner but so is Shou. "Shou, I'm really serious! We cannot go far off!"

"Come on!" he picked up speed as if not hearing me.

"You brat! Are you even listening to me?" I screamed as anger boiled in me. Speeding up my place I managed to tackle him down. "Finally. Are you going to listen now?"

Shou nodded. "But look."

I looked up and saw we've reached a cliff, the woodland ended here but there's a single tree growing at the very edge of the cliff, overhanging in the air. The squirrel we saw earlier was on one of the branch.

"We have to help it," Shou said.

"It's a damn squirrel," I muttered with annoyance, "It can climb back down without any problems."

Just as I said that we hear panic squeaks and saw the squirrel's acorn slip out of its grasp and it dived for it, it managed to hook its tail on the branch but it clearly couldn't get back up with its hands and feet clutching onto the acorn.

I closed my eyes and growled with frustration. "How can something be so dumb?" I muttered to myself.

"We have to help it!" Shou repeated what he said a few minutes ago as he wriggled under me.

"Fine." I stood up and clipped a rope to our belts. "Listen," I said as I adjusted the rope, "We climb up that thing slowly no matter what happens." Shou nodded.

"Good," I gave the rope a yank before looking at the overhanging tree. "Looks stable enough to climb."

"Come on sister," Shou tugged on the rope and made his way to the tree.

I sighed as I allowed him to pull me along.

I glanced over the cliff, I shivered at the long drop, it was dark down there so I couldn't see how steep the cliff was.

I gulped and gave tree one last long look, before Shou started climbing it as I followed.

Please review and tell me your thoughts

~Blackrose in the Moonlight

My other stories:

'Secret Around the Corner'

'The Living Ghost'

'Two Masked Life'

'The Green Winged Angel' (Buttercup one-shot)

'Not a Devil but a Girl' (Bubbles one-shot)