Disclaimer: Sadly…and very truly so, I don't own FY or any character in it…sob sob

CHAPTER17

LOST LOVE. A NEW LOVE.

The whole day seemed to have gone by pretty fast. Presents arrived unexpectedly from the whole gang for Arwen. They had all taken time off to go get her something she would like a lot, as a thank you for the gift she had given each of them.

Taka and Miaka found the cutest solitaire set they could with special words to a friend.
CD's and a bracelet from Chichiri and Nuriko seemed to have made Arwen happy at once. She put their bracelet on at once. A crystal angel from Shouka and Mitsukake was amazing though she had to be utterly careful with it.
She constantly kept hugging the teddy bear that Chiriko had sent her through Mitsukake, even during her classes.
Tasuki sat there a little out of mood while she was talking to another group of people after class.

"Why so glum?" Hori plopped down into her seat next to him.
"Nothing."
"Aw no. There has to be a reason. Are you sad she isn't talking to you that much." He teased.
"Shut up man. Nothing of that sort. I trust her too much for that. I know how ever long she talks to someone else she'll want to end her day talking to me."

"That much trust huh? Then why so sad Mr. Tasuki?" Anya smiled down at him. "She didn't say anything to hurt you now did she?"
"No. She couldn't say anything like that. It's just…" he eyed her bag at the foot of her seat. It was brimming with cards and gifts that he had to keep her books for her. Though she was frustrated at getting so many cards, she refused to throw them away.

"How much ever frustrated I am with this…I can't throw those cards away. That's just rude. Even if I don't love everyone who sent me a card I don't want to hurt their feeling unnecessarily." She argued.
"Then Ari. Why not put them away in you locker? That'll keep them out of sight," he suggested as they walked there during lunch.
"Well that is a nice thought. But…" she opened her locker and it was already full of the gifts and cards from that morning and the gang's gifts. "I should have left the ones I found on my door step at home. Two batches of this will do for me. But you know what Tasuki…I think there won't be anymore. There can't."

"Everyone in the gang got her a gift. She gave me one too, and I …" his voice trailed off sadly.
"We still didn't get her anything yet." Hori tried to soothe him.
"Yet. At least you sent her a card. I didn't do that either."
"Listen Mr. Tasuki. There's no use feeling bad about this. We're going to go out and get her a gift in the evening. Why don't you join us? And get her something too? You will be coming over in the evening I presume because she has asked you to come." He nodded.

"But I have to drop her off at home."
Hori nodded before leaving. "See you after you drop her, get your stuff and come to Reeds."
"Hi Tasuki." Arwen stood before him beaming down at him.
"And what makes you so ecstatic princess?" he smiled as she pulled him up to his feet. He took her books up as she pulled her heavy bag across her shoulder and hugged his hand as usual.

"I talked to Daddy. And Ranu. They both asked me to be their Valentine. Isn't that great?" She smiled looking the happiest possible.

He couldn't help but smile at this. Such innocence, such a simple sentence and you're so happy. Just because your dad and brother asked you to be their valentine, they probably didn't mean it at all. Still it makes you so happy. I don't believe it.

"And that's great why?"

"Well Prithvi has always been my Valentine…but daddy has mummy yet every year they have both asked me to be their valentine. Both of them together! What joy! Ooh!" she was almost skipping with joy in front of him that he knew she would have probably pranced all the way home had he not been there.

Dropping her off at home he left to meet the other two.
But this time Arwen wasn't so ecstatic when she was alone.

Sitting in her room, she looked out sadly into the street thinking back.

Slow tears fell continuously. "Why?" she muttered sadly clutching a picture and holding it to her heart.

"Why did you have to leave me? Why did you leave me here? I love you no matter what." She got up frustrated. Looking up at her ceiling she cried. "I hate you for doing this to me! But hear me out! I'll love you no matter what! Whether you're dead or alive Yue! I promise you! Why did you have to go?"

She dropped to the floor and cried badly into her hands dropping the photo.

Anya had just returned from her valentine shopping and wanted to see Arwen.

When she came into her friend's beautifully decorated room she was shocked to see the sunny happy go lucky roommate crying miserably on the floor.

Arwen looked up anxiously, "Yue?" but then she began crying even more seeing Anya.

"Arwen." Anya rushed to her friend. "Ari." Arwen just hugged her and cried into her shoulder.

But then the picture at Arwen's foot caught Anya's eye.

She was shocked to see the people in the picture when she picked it up.

"Ari." She gasped. For in the photo was Arwen. She was younger, shorter and still had that childish charm which had turned into real beauty, as she grew older. Her light brown eyes were twinkling with happiness. The same sparkle, Anya noticed, was missing in her eyes now.

Only here she wasn't alone now. There was a guy so tall, compared to him she was so short she barely reached his chest. He had the brightest silver moon like eyes Anya had ever seen. He was handsome, fair with whitish hair. He looked athletic and very smart at the same time. He was holding her so close into him that there was barely anything to call distance between them. She could see the love for her friend shining in his eyes. The same sparkle that was there in her eyes.

"Ari…" she brought her friend away. She held the photo out to her. Arwen took it and stroked it looking down at the guy fondly with so much love that this time alone when she looked at even his picture the sparkle was back in her eyes.

"His name was Yue. Yue Reed."

"Reed?" Anya was surprised. Arwen nodded. "He owned Reeds."
Anya was sad at the lost look in her friend's face, " you don't have to tell me if you don't want to,"

Arwen nodded. "I want you to know." More tears poured down.
"He was a senior here doing his astro as well. We met and he taught me physics. Then we fell in love with each other. So much…we were alive only for each other. He loved me so much and took care of me like his life depended on me. He was my life Anya. He was everything to me even more than daddy and Ranu. Then…he … he…" she couldn't continue.

"You don't have to go on dear." Anya tried to soothe her friend through her own tears.

"No. I have to let it out." she sobbed into Anya's shoulder, "He… he and I …were coming home from dinner on his bike and a- a- a- kitty cat came in the way…to stop he pulled the brakes…it escaped…but…a 14 wheeler came out of nowhere and---ran us down. He p-p-pushed me off but he got hit and he- he- he died! In my arms Annie! In my arms!"

"Ari!" Anya hugged her friend really the tightest she could.
But Arwen came away and took a box down from her bed and opened it.
Anya gasped shocked as she saw what her friend was sliding onto her finger.

"Ari, that's-" she stopped shocked as Arwen nodded.

"He proposed to me three hours before he died, and I accepted," she replied sadly through her uncontrollable tears. "A year ago tonight. He proposed and then he died." Anya couldn't control her tears any more.

"On valentines day?" she asked sadly. Arwen nodded sadly. Again she couldn't help but pull her friend into a hug.
"I should have died with him Anya! Why did he leave me? I should have died with him too."
Anya stared at her, her heart utterly torn to shreds to hear those words out of Arwen.
"Don't be a fool Arwen, dare you talk again like this I will never speak to you. You've been given a second chance Arwen. Can't you see that?" she pulled Arwen away.

"I don't want another chance. I don't want a life with out him!" she cried into her hands.
Anya could help but hold onto Arwen again. She couldn't get hold of the right words to soothe her friend then.
Arwen soon calmed down. "Anya, don't tell this to anyone else please." She muttered into her friend's ear.
"But Ari you have such a sad past, you need to let it out. Keeping it a secret isn't going to help. I never knew. All this time…I'm so sorry I teased you and-"

"It's ok. Anya. I don't want anyone to know. I don't want pity! He's mine alone. That's what I want. Even in memory, I want him to be mine alone. Please. Promise me," Anya had no choice but to accept.

"Listen, Mr. Hori and I got you a gift, he will be here in a few minutes time."
Arwen nodded sadly. "I'll let you know when he's here. " Anya said as she left.

Anya was in a myriad of thoughts all of which seemed to confuse her even more. She was utterly thrown off board to find out about her sweet friend. Never even in her scariest dream had she imagined that her Arwen had such a past behind her, by the way she was in the normal world. Arwen had a whole hidden world of her own and she hadn't even been able to guess it existed.

As she sat there in the living room looking at the picture of the two she became sadder.
"So much love. He didn't have to go away like this." She muttered sadly but then hearing the door open she hastily put the picture away in a book.

"Mr. Hori." She smiled at him wiping her tears away. "Please sit down,"
"Thank you Anya. But where is she?"
"She's in her room. She has some thing to work on. I'll just go call her and bring us some coffee."
"Yes thanks. That would be really nice." He smiled hiding his confusion as to why she looked like she had been crying.

"Ari." Anya looked in again. Arwen seemed a lot better. She was just pink in the face, but she had stopped crying. Though one could tell from the puffiness of her eyes that she had been doing just that. "He's here dear."

Arwen nodded. "I'll be there in a second."

A few minutes later she walked out of the hall into the living room wearing a bright smile.
"Hori hi. What brings you here."
"I'd prefer to tell you that once Anya gets here." Arwen just smiled as he got up to give her a hug.

"Hori." She said holding onto him unusually tightly. She looked up into his eyes pleadingly. Yet again he was utterly taken aback. Why have the two of them been crying like this? What happened? What's wrong Ari tell me?

"Yes?"

"You really remind me of someone really very special to me. Can you please hold me a while as tight as you can. I want to remember that person. Please?"

"Of course Nadi. Anything you want." He held her really the tightest he could, but with utmost tenderness and worry he could muster at that moment.
She sighed happily and held onto him. You smell like him and you're the same height, you're here tonight aren't you Yue? In him, thank you.

He was still confused as to why she had been crying. In the time that he had known her so far he had never once seen her cry. She was a strong girl. She handled anything with utmost courage that she could muster.

She was optimistic, or at least she tried to be like that. Yet here she was, in tears. Some thing in the past must have been troubling her and if he reminded her of that person, he would do anything she wanted him to, to make her happy again. If she wanted him to hold her, then that's what he'd do.

A few minutes later she came away and smiled at him looking genuinely happy.

"Thank you very much Hori. That meant a lot to me. You see I miss the person I told you about too much, and you're holding me made me feel that that person was holding me. Thank you."

He smiled. "Hey that's all. Gee. I had gotten so used to holding you. Wouldn't have minded to continue longer either. Maybe some other time, if you'll hug me that is." She nodded grinning.

"Anya you can come here you know." Anya walked in from the kitchen holding a tray of refreshments.
Once Hori had taken his leave, Arwen couldn't help but break down again.
Anya thought it best to let her cry out her sadness, as she knew what it was like to hold all that sadness in your heart forever so long. It hurt even more than crying.

She wasn't even able to concentrate on her own studies that night. But she snapped out of her thoughts at hearing the door open again.
"Hi Anya, is Ari home?" Tasuki walked in.
"Mr. Tasuki. Oh I completely forgot you were supposed to come. Yes she's in the study."

"K. I'll see her then," he started to the study but she stopped him.
"Uh- Mr. Tasuki. I think you should sit here. I'll go tell her you're here. She's a little busy right now."
"Busy? Doing what?" he was very confused.

"I'm not in a position to tell you that but please sit. I'll be right back."
He sat down utterly confused as to why she was acting like that. But Anya came back a second later,
"She'll be out in a minute. I presume you were able to find something you would like her to have when you took off from the shop?" Tasuki nodded.

"What's going on Anya? Why're you behaving so strangely?"
"Strangely. I don't think so; she just asked to be told if someone wanted to meet her that's all. Nothing strange about that. Now you'll have coffee?" she asked coolly.
"No thanks, I'll just see her and leave,"

She nodded and took up her own book. But the picture she had hidden in it accidentally fell out. Tasuki picked it up and stared at it shocked out of his senses. He noticed the same things Anya had.

"What is the meaning of this?" he looked up at Anya.
"Nothing Mr. Tasuki. It's just an old picture of her from old times."

"Anya. That's not her dad, or brother or any of her cousins. Who is he? I need to know." but Anya refused to tell.
Finally after a lot of bugging and persuasion she told him everything. Everything except the fact that she wanted to die with him.
Tasuki, to his own surprise, couldn't help his tears. He wiped it away quickly before Anya could notice.

This isn't the right time to be here. I didn't imagine in my wildest dream that Arwen's past would be like this. No wonder she was sad that day. Maybe I should leave. That's it. I can give this to her later. He got up. "Maybe I should leave her alone tonight. I'll give this to her later." He was about to leave when Arwen walked in smiling again.

"HI Shun'u," she smiled but Anya looked surprised. "Shun'u?" she repeated with a mischievous smile.
Both Arwen and Tasuki turned red. "Yeah. Shun'u." Arwen repeated as she walked to him and took hold of his hand in her own. "I call him that. You know. It is his real name." She said as a matter of factly.

"Is that so Mr. Tasuki?" he nodded grinning.
"Well. If you'll excuse us. I have some business with him." Arwen dragged him to the study. All the while Tasuki was fighting the urge to talk to her about Yue and tried as much as he could to hide his sadness and discomfort with the act of enthusiasm she was putting on.

She shut the door and walked to her cupboard. She came back to him with a small box.
"Happy valentine's day Tasuki. I hope you like it."
He sat down and opened it carefully.
In it was a small silver chain with a small dollar, which had a crescent moon, sun, bell and heart embedded into one another.
"What is this?" he looked up at her.

"My grandma gave me this as a present. See it is symbolism. The sun is for wealth and glory, fame. The moon is for wealth too and romance and joy. The bell is for good health, and the heart is for love. It'll bring you luck."

He looked in the box and there was a bracelet. "I hope you don't except me to wear girly bracelets you little baka." He grinned.

She laughed sweetly at this. "No. That's not for you."
"Not for me? Then whom. Dang I hope not for Hori." He laughed helplessly.
"Stop it idiot. It isn't for him either."
"Aw too bad. Would have suited him fer his beauty. I mean the guy does look too beautiful to be a guy."
"Stop it Shun'u. And I suppose you think you look good enough to be a gorgeous hunk?"

"Why not? I do think so. Don't you?" he smirked at this. She just stuck out her tongue at this.

"Sure a lot of girls are hanging their tongues seeing you, but not me Mr. Anyways. This is for someone else. Your future girlfriend. Someone gave me this. And it's very personal. It'll bring you a lot of luck. Listen Tasuki. I know you're not into this Girl thing… but then a love must be had in life whether good or bad to make life complete. Don't miss out on that. Please. Some girl out there is really lucky that she's going to get to keep you forever. Don't make her lose that love,"

This seemed to have hurt him a little. So this is what you think of me Ari? That I don't like girls. Well but that is the ways I have put it up haven't I? Ari…I have some in mind… but now I think its wrong to think that too.

He nodded. "Its just no one can put up with me like that Ari. The right one hasn't come along. There isn't anyone like that for me here. I know it."

"Don't be ridiculous Tasuki." She hugged his hand. " You're as human as you can get. And I'm sure there is someone made for you here. But you have to be on the look out, you don't want to miss her. I put up with you don't I?"

"You put up with everyone cause yer just nice."

"Don't you ever say that about yourself. I love being with you Tasuki, know that. I miss you when we're not together. Don't ever say that. Sometimes, I envy the girl you're gonna love. She's going to keep such a wonderful person like you." She pulled him into a hug. "And I'm not just saying that."

"Nadi. These gifts are too personal for me to take from you."
"No you have to keep them." she brought him away. "I meant for you to have them. And I don't take gifts back."
"Well I have something for you too, it might not be too much… but for now this is all I can do," he held out a small box.
Arwen gasped as she had when Julian gave her his gift. "Tasuki this is so beautiful. This is the best gift I've got today." She held up the bracelet in her hand and marveled at it.

Tasuki looked at it doubtfully. It was a simple silver chain with a single heart hanging from it holding a white stone at it's center. On the back was the inscription. "Aishiteru…zutto Ari-chan."

"This is marvelous! Put it on! Put it on." She handed it to him and held out her hand at once.

Astounded that she should think that this was the best gift in all the wonderful gifts she had gotten that day, he put it on her hand and admired it for a minute as it looked like it had made it's purpose. It looked beautiful on her hand.

"Thank you so much. I love it! Truly! Ooh!" she kept admiring it while still holding onto his hand she some how refused to let go of. For a second there Tasuki admired the contrast that their hands made against each other's. Her small soft pink, pale hand was beautiful in his larger tanned hand.

"Well I should be leaving." He got up stopping himself from letting his imagination get away again with her.
"See you Tasuki. Thank you so much again," he nodded and left.
Arwen just dropped into her couch and sat staring at the bracelet on her hand; she couldn't help but let out her tears again.

To her shock Tasuki walked back in asking, "hey Ari we're still on for the stud-" he stopped short seeing tears. He knew why she was crying. He just shut the door and walking to her he knelt before her to wipe off her tears.

"What now? More cards?" he didn't want her to know he knew.
She nodded sadly. He got up again and pulled her up to her feet. "What do you want from me?"
"What?"

"What do you want the most from me? Anything to cheer you up." he pulled her to the mirror in the room and stood her before it holding her from behind.

"What do you see in there?"
"I see a skinny little nobody, being a cry baby standing before a perfect guy whom she doesn't deserve to have." She looked away leaning into him more.

But he turned her to look at the mirror. He looked down at her in the mirror.

"But I see a strong young woman, who adores her family, has so much courage and love, I've never seen anything like this in this world. That's worth a lot in life." He stared down at her as she looked up at him in the mirror. For a minute there both had the same thought.

Both of them looked perfect together.
"Tasuki."
"Look." He turned her around. "You're one of a kind Ari. That's very rare. I'm lucky to have you with me. Please. Don't let these things get in the way of living life. Enjoy it with me. Let things of the past be in the past. You have a future to make. That's what you told me."

"Tasuki." She just leant into his chest and held on crying her eyes out. He put his arms around her and cradled her more into him.

The time that went by seemed to have gone by very fast as they stood there holding each other. Soon enough he realized it had been nearly half an hour since she held onto him. The other thing was that she held onto him tight and fell asleep, it seemed like she never wanted to let go.

Slowly he lifted her off her feet and made way to her bedroom. Gently depositing her into her bed he stared down into her beautiful face for a minute trying to figure out how he could remove the hand that wouldn't let go of his shirt.

But the at one of his lightest movements she woke up.
"Tasuki."

He smiled down at her. "Listen. Tonight is valentine's night. You shouldn't be crying. Anya is just sitting there reading. Tonight of all nights. Talk to her about what is bothering you," he got up but she still held onto his shirt.

"Nadi."

"Thank you."

"I love you Nadi." He smiled at her before bending down to give her a kiss on her cheek she had given him that morning, "Remember that. I want to keep you always." He smiled as she turned a bright shade of crimson.

He just gave her a wink and left her in a speechless state that she was still crimson when Anya came into her room.

I love you Nadi? That can't be! I'm sure he meant as a friend. Yeah that's it. A friend right?
She sent a little prayer to the heavens just as Anya walked in.

I don't want popularity. I want to just keep these precious friends I have made now. Who love me so. Just give me that much.

There… I hope the kahani me twist was good, I know it's a bit late for valentine, but was busy helping with elections here… sorry… but hope you liked it, let me know what you think people… please review…. I know yer out there…
ciao