Strange Circumstances


Old Friends


Shopping for a yukata; how fun!

Saya was adamant about buying a new yukata to temporarily replace her favourite one which Kyoko insisted on sending to the best dry-cleaners in town. The yukata was the only one she'd had, however, since after she'd defaulted in payments (due to her being unconscious in a coma), her old place was rented to someone else, and all her belongings sold, much to Kyoko's indignation. Not that Kyoko minded. She loved shopping. Besides, she had nothing better to do, and Saya had promised her to take her shopping for a yukata.

"Ooh, this is pretty," Kyoko smiled. "I think that would look beautiful." She was swamped with at least ten different yukatas, of every colour imaginable and every pattern ever seen.

Saya, on the other hand, was frowning. "My goodness! Things have got ever so much more expensive."

Kyoko looked over. "Blame Creed. His psychopathic war caused a major shortage in supplies. In fact, it was worse before this."

"Creed," Saya repeated. There was a frown on her face.

"Is something the matter?" Kyoko asked, worriedly. Saya had turned pensive.

Saya gave a (forced) laugh. "No, Kyoko. No, it's just - I think it's better if I took on a different name."

"Whatever for?" Kyoko smiled. "Surely no one is going to kill you?" She gave the elder girl a hug. "No one will ever dare kill a friend of Kyoko, or I'll sic Black Cat on them."

"It's always better to be safe than sorry," Saya told her. "Do you have a distant cousin who your friends don't know of?"

Kyoko frowned, appearing to be in deep thought. "No. Mother and daddy come from a long line of only children. The only relatives I have are all a generation older than I am. But you could, you know, just be an imaginary cousin called Saya."

"None?" Saya sighed. "Well, I don't think it would be wise to be my true identity at the moment. I could pretend to be one of your classmates."

To this, Kyoko only giggled. "No way! You're like, so old-sounding, and you're too smart! No one will ever believe you're my classmate."

"You sure about that?" Saya smiled.

"Positive," Kyoko said solemnly, and burst into giggles. "No, you can be an imaginary cousin, like at the hospital. Maybe you could change your name. Like, call yourself Cat or Neko or something. Try Cat, it sounds cute. It could be short for Catherine or Catrina."

"As in, Catrina Kirisaki? But Catrina isn't a Japanese name."

"You're mixed Japanese and local, or something. I'm trying to help here?" Kyoko said, impatiently.

"Oh fine, Kyoko!" Saya said. "You have to relax! I'm just being impossible. You know, the world has changed so much -"

"Tell me about it!" Kyoko smiled, her annoyance forgotten, as she was quick to temper and also quick to calm down. "But the point is, do you want a yukata?"

"I'll take this one," Saya touched the silk fabric of a beautiful yukata, similar to her blood-stained one, a white coloured with intricate leafy patterns and floral patterns at the neck, sleeves, and hem. She paid for it, then changed into it, and neatly folded the peasant blouse and skirt Kyoko had lent her.

"That's looks beautiful on you, Saya. Maybe I should wear mine now?"

Saya nodded. Kyoko emerged from the changing rooms in a white yukata with bubbles.

"Well, isn't that pretty?" Saya smiled. "Are we done? You ready to go?"

"Yeah," and both girls walked out of the store.

"Well, I'm on my way to the pub, okay? I'll see you in an hour or two," Saya said on the way out.

"Wait, I thought you didn't have to work today?" Kyoko frowned.

"No, it isn't," Saya smiled. "I want to check whether there are any criminals on the loose."

"You're crazy, Saya! Didn't you just get out of the hospital? And you could have a relapse! That would make me a murderer!" Kyoko wailed.

"You're such a drama queen, Kyoko!" Saya laughed. "Don't worry, I'll be fine."

"You'd better be. I'm expecting you two hours from now, on the dot."

"Okay, okay. Well, hopefully I'll be able to catch a murderer or two."

"I'm coming with you. Someone has to protect you."

"Don't worry, Kyoko. You can come on the next one!" Saya smiled.

"There won't be a next one, Saya. You could get killed. And you nearly did, I might add."

But Saya had left, and blended seamlessly into the throng of people.


I thought I saw a person from my dreams...

Train Heartnet was hungry and broke. Sven had no cash, Princess (Eve) was not in the mood for helping Train out (and had popped back to her boarding school - an exclusive one that Sven and Tearju paid almost all their money for - after an unauthorised visit), and Rinslet and Jenos were a pair of selfish people who wouldn't let poor Train have a glass of milk. That was what he called pure evil.

Okay, maybe he was exaggerating. But they were still meanies!

He was heading for Cait Sith. Usually, he'd head there with Sven and Eve, but again, Eve was off at her boarding school and Sven was 'spending time' with Tearju.

Insert gag.

Anyway, on his way to Cait Sith, he thought he went mad. For he saw a face he'd seen only in his dreams ever since he thought she died.

It was Saya.

He tried to call her name, but was unable to. She was wearing a different coloured yukata. He tried to follow her, but the throng of people was against him. He looked up. He could probably track her from above -

"Black Cat!"

Oh no. Kyoko Kirisaki.

"Black Cat, what are you doing here? Did you come to see me?"

He tried to unhand himself from her grasp. "Kyoko, now's not the time - you're wearing a yukata!"

The last part was said with some surprise. Kyoko nodded and beamed.

"Yeah! I'm surprised you know what it is, it's supposed to be Japanese! How on earth do you know that? Are you part Japanese as well?" She looked up and frowned, when she saw Train in deep thought, obviously having ceased listening to her. "Is that bad? I thought it looked pretty when I bought it with my cousin."

"No, no," Train said hastily. "I'm sure it's nice. No! It only reminds me of someone I used to know."

"Who, who?" Kyoko asked.

Great, now Kyoko was trying to pry into his past.

"No one particular," Train said, and tried to break free. He didn't want to hurt Kyoko, though, because Sven's gentlemanly ways had rubbed off him, and no gentleman would willfully hurt a lady.

Although, right now, Kyoko was more dragon than lady.

"Do you know, Train," Kyoko said hastily. "That my cousin is in town?"

"No, but -" God, Kyoko was strong.

"I really want you to meet her. She's really pretty, and would make a lovely maid-of-honour for our wedding! And she loves yukatas! What do you think of us having a traditional wedding?" Kyoko smiled.

"Yeah - No! No wedding, Kyoko. Now, if you'll excuse me?" He managed to escape Kyoko, who was yelling, "We should have lunch someday! All three of us!"

Train made his way to the top of the building. He looked over the whole of the marketplace. But Saya, or whoever it was, was gone.


In delusion - not that I'd know.

"He really loves me," Kyoko smiled, in satisfaction. It was the proverbial look that the cat got when it caught the canary.

She turned around, and saw Charden.

"Charden! It's you! I haven't seen you for a long time!" She jumped on top of him and gave him a hug. "How have you been doing? I missed you!"

She couldn't see Charden's eyes behind the glasses. Charden was introverted and quiet, her exact opposite, but if she had seen the emotion that his large glasses hid, she would have been touched.

"Well, I've been traveling," he finally admitted. "And I've heard of something very interesting about several underworld criminals."


Author's Note

I deserve hate mail for not updating sooner. I don't deserve you guys or your lovely reviews. I hope you guys can forgive me for not updating.