Terror

Slipping along in the shadows of Namimori, I suppress a chuckle at what Hibari would do if he knew I was using him for training in ninjutsu. The guy is so perceptive it takes all a ninja has to avoid getting caught and bulldozed. My thoughts turned from Hibari to Takeshi. Earlier he had said he was with Kaoru training for the upcoming game.

OH MY GOD! Murder intent seared through the night, blinding me. It wasn't until I almost blacked out that I realized I wasn't breathing. Something told me by the next day I might be wishing I blacked out and fell onto a sword. Struggling to suppress my panic, I tried to focus on the feeling of water but I had to light up my Misty Rain ring with a Rain flame, and lightly doused myself with it; the lingering heat was barely perceptible as a high temperature tingle rapidly retreated. A streak of light shot through the night as a tall silhouette slipped from light to night before I could see their features clearly, and it was their features I needed, dammit! Anyone can fit a silhouette with proper padding and hair style. The clear, city tainted night air carried a strange scent. Due to being human I can't tell precisely what the scent was from smell alone, but from the damp, disturbingly warm, sharp feel I caught in the bridge of my nose told me it was liquid, and warm which means it belongs to a body. Staying wary of potential attack, I stepped into the light of the open locker room.

"Karen what's wrong?" Ryohei's voice changed as he beheld the scene that, even without photographic memory, would remain torched into my memory. I didn't realize I had screamed. All over the back of the lockers was my least favorite color in the world: freshly spilled blood and right in the middle of it was Takeshi, the source of it all. The bright warmth that marked the Sun flames brought me out of the locked hole I had started receding into. "Locked in a deep, black night…. frozen sleep/ Under a cold clear winter sky… I'm lost in this frozen sleep" my song, Hear Me, pulsed except if Takeshi was gone, there'd be nothing to wake me up and I'd be lost till the day I died. The thought of loosing Takeshi spurred me to action, grabbing my cell.

'It isn't until you lose something that you ever realize how precious it is' a cliché that honestly is annoying but it's true, except in my case it's 'almost lose'. Ever since I came to Japan, Takeshi has always been the one that held my attention. Despite how cold I was the first day, he still smiled and said 'welcome'. He helped me get a job at his dad's sushi store. It wasn't until then I realized what I lost when my parents were killed when I was no more than a month old, what Superbi feels whenever he thinks about our parents. Tsuyoshi treated me like I was his daughter even though he could tell I was a fellow swordsman (woman). As friendship bloomed, I realized how different Takeshi was from me: he lived an average, secure, light filled life while mine has been anything but normal and secure where light was nothing more than the moon and stars. At the same time though, we had an unfailing dedication to our loved ones. No matter what, Takeshi was always smiling, laughing, calm, oblivious but kind and considerate. He contrasted with the life I lead, showed me different things and he balanced it out.

After getting Takeshi to the hospital I felt myself start to pretend I was calm but really I was anything but calm. I know Takeshi is going to live, but the question is will he be able to play baseball again? Baseball is his life and if he can't continue to play, well….it'll be heartbreaking. If he can't play baseball, I strongly suspect he won't be able to use a sword and as such won't be able to defend or help his friends in battle and friends mean more to Takeshi than anything possibly could. If he couldn't help his friends, he'd be soul broken and that would destroy him beyond being an empty shell. Sparring and baseball are our favorite activities to do together. God help the attacker if Takeshi can't play baseball anymore (personally, I hope God deserts the attacker).

I let out a sigh, sitting at home after the meeting with the Ninth. Tsuna has decided to accept the Inheritance only to flush out the one that attacked Takeshi. The brilliant idea of using Chrome's illusions to create a false Takeshi is brilliant, especially since the one who attacked Takeshi won't expect Takeshi to be up and running like nothing happened. If it the plan works out, it'll throw them off their game. Absently I brushed Kaida, my mist/rain flame hybrid jaguar box weapon. Even though she doesn't need to be brushed, I still do it as it's soothing for her and me. Kaida bumped her head against my hand begging for a scratch that I located behind her ear. The flames she released was a gorgeous blend of blue and indigo where the colors meshed but dart out as individual flames that were accented by a dark gray, almost black pelt with black splashes in the jaguar's signature spot pattern. Kaida is a fierce, unrelenting, wild but controlled fighter which everyone says reflects me but off the battlefield, she enjoys napping in the sun at noon and doing her own thing, which is another similarity. My other box weapons, Mire, a Mist Kingfisher is just a typical bird who goes wherever she wishes and a Squalo Piccolo Pioggia (Little Rain Shark) I never let out as he is even more bloodthirsty than any shark out there and is nearly impossible to control without Kaida or Mire.

Trying to sleep, even with Kaida lending me Rain flames was getting farther and farther away. My thoughts kept going to Takeshi and what everyone is saying. Mukuro and Superbi have the same opinion of me being incredibly dense, and all of it occurs whenever I think or talk about Takeshi acting weird.

Ugh. Listening to Karen go around in circles like she is now has to be one of the most irritating things in all the realms!

Oh for Christ's sake! Honestly! You have to be one of the densest people I will ever meet! I finally snapped, Yamamoto Takeshi is in love with you!

Eh? I could have taken a bat to her head and she wouldn't appear half as stunned as she is now,

And you love him back! I added.

About time she got it, I commented to Nagi, who was listening as well,

It's kind of cute, Nagi commented. Yes it was but I wasn't feelings especially overjoyed. God I hope I'm not crushing on her.

You're just like a big brother, Nagi smiled. That rang more true than being in love with Karen; she was a little too feisty for my liking but I know I can trust her. Before Karen registered my comments, I got out and built up defenses even she had a hard time breaking through. If she can't break through in an hour than she usually quits and beats up something else, preferably Leviathan but he, unfortunately, isn't always available.

What is there for Takeshi to like about me? Sure I enjoy baseball but I don't have his passion for it. Why on earth would he pick me? Despite all the questions swirling around, I couldn't help but feel…delighted, ecstatic and these feelings weren't helping my confusion level.

I am in…love. That's almost too much for me to wrap my head around; I've never noticed the opposite gender in that way. I've always noticed when a guy was attractive, like Dino, but beyond that I didn't care. However, things made a lot more sense, like the bursts of awkwardness and….the…uh, intimacy. My thoughts turned to two days ago, during Takeshi's and my break between shifts: Takeshi and I were talking about our parents.

"Hey Takeshi?"

"Yeah?"

"Um, why don't you ever talk about your mom? Did she and your dad get into a fight or something?"

Takeshi, who had been lying on his back with his legs dangling over the edge of the wraparound porch that enshrouded the inner garden, pulled himself up, "She died in a car accident,"

"Oh,"

"Why're you smiling?" Takeshi looked at me apprehensively,

"It's just that, that's the same way my parents died. I was only three weeks old, Superbi was eight," I smiled sadly, "doesn't really…affect me. I mean, Superbi is…was the one who raised me. He's the one that was always there. I'm pretty sure he's done more for me than any father would ever do for the child of his second marriage,"

"Wow. That sounds…kind of like Gokudera's family."

I chuckled, "Not quite. My…father didn't have an affair. Superbi's mom was killed in a shoot out between an ally of the Vongola and one of the rival families. It was five years later that he finally moved on,"

"Sounds like you know a lot for just being three weeks old,"

"This is all Superbi told me. I once asked him what it was like having parents and he said it was indescribable. Seeing you with your dad explains why that bond can't be explained. It also tells me, what I….must've, am missing out on". Both of us were silent after that.

"Wait here a sec," Takeshi suddenly jumped up and was gone before I could say 'what the heck?' Whatever it was he was doing it sure was taking awhile. But it was fine. The day was beautiful and the sunshine warm. I never realized how much sunlight I missed out on while working with the Varia. Cheep, tweet blended into a cacophonic symphony. Takeshi's socked feet couldn't be heard but they could be felt through the wood.

"Here" he handed me a small object wrapped carefully in cloth, "consider it a late and early birthday present",

"Okay," I unwrapped the little object, "oh," I was stunned. Nestled in the soft white fabric was a half moon shaped boxwood comb decorated with dark, yellow green bamboo leaves and white bamboo blossoms.

"That belonged to my mom. Since I don't have any sisters and dad hasn't remarried, you can use it. And keep it," he added, "as a souvenir of Japan,"

"Uh Takeshi" this felt so weird and creepily intimate, "I'm staying in Japan. No way in heaven or hell can Xanxus move me," I kept my eyes on the comb.

"Sweet. Uh, Karen?" I finally looked up and almost backpedaled; Takeshi was blushing, "um, well I…." before he could he finish his sentence Tsuyoshi came in,

"Hey kids, time…never mind," he realized he was interrupting,

"Little late for that Dad," Takeshi stood up, "C'mon like he was going to say: time to get back to work,"

"Okay," what the heck was that about?

Before I finally fell asleep at five in the morning, I set my alarm to wake me up at six' thirty. I've functioned on less sleep before but an hour and a half was not going to keep me going. I'm going to have to talk to Ryohei to see if I could get energized by his Sun flames.

I was up before anyone else in the Sawada household, so I left a note saying I was visiting Takeshi at the hospital and that I was going to visit with my 'grandfather'. I gulped down a bowl of porridge with lots of syrup and grabbed an energy bar that I ate on my way to the hospital. I was just wearing a pair of gray sweats and white t-shirt. The Ninth had my suit for the Ceremony. My first out of three stops for the day was the hospital where I found Tsuyoshi dozing outside Takeshi's room. He jumped even though my footsteps made no sound, "Oh, Karen. Just you,"

"Have you been here all night?" I wasn't surprised,

"Huh? Oh yeah," he rubbed his eyes, "how did this happen?" he knew I had the answer,

"Well, uh, um…that is what Takeshi was planning to tell you, so I'll let him when he wakes up",

"You know?"

"It's Takeshi's story not mine," I held up my hands

"Argh! Sorry, I know you want to visit him…."

"It's cool. I'd be going nuts if someone knew something I didn't and wouldn't tell me," I sympathized,

"Doc says no more than five minutes visiting. Says it's no point talking to him,"

"God, fucking dammit!" I muttered, "What do they know?" I raised my voice. Slipping into the room, I felt crippled. Hesitantly, I touched Takeshi's hand and the fingers twitched.

"Don't worry bout a thing," I whispered, "we'll find the one who did this and make sure they face up to it. Don't take too long waking up and getting better. I…I…I". Crap I can't even say it! Might as well save it until he wakes up anyways. God I feel like an idiot and Tsuyoshi's knowing smile just irritated me further,

"About time," he waved. It was so hard to resist spinning around and giving Tsuyoshi an earful.

That girl is something else. It's impossible to not forget the first I met Karen: I almost had a heart attack when I sensed her because she has the aura of an experienced fighter; one who has been in life and death situations but never killed anyone yet. My head snapped up to find a silver haired young girl hiding behind Takeshi, "Karen?" Takeshi's expression was startled,

"Your father's scary," a soft, but strong voice answered,

"Okay," Takeshi drew out the 'O'.

"One of your friends Takeshi?" I quickly plastered a smile on my face,

"She's a classmate and teammate,"

"Teammate?" I asked,

"We both play baseball," the girl named Karen had stepped out from behind Takeshi. She was tall for her age, assuming she's fourteen, had short, spiky silver hair and if it wasn't for the subtle hint of curves in her clothing and voice I would have mistook her for a boy.

"Ah," I said,

"Hey dad? Mind if Karen works here?"

"Maybe, does she have a resume?"

"She's a transfer student from Italy," Takeshi grinned,

"Oh! Well then, when can you start?" being a transfer student meant she was responsible, behaved properly and had a genuine curiosity for the world around her. Just the kind of person I like to have working here but I also wanted to keep an eye on her, "I would still like a resume though," I added chuckling.

I shake my head. That worry had been a useless drag around. Once she got over her shyness, Karen was the first one to beat Takeshi to a joke. She was undeniably trustworthy and she and Takeshi got along like a baseball and a bat. Similarities and differences were beautifully and harmoniously balanced. She was dense in areas Takeshi wasn't and vice versa. They were both dense in one area though. To top it off, they were never seen apart. I honestly think Takeshi has found a really good friend and maybe, just maybe, his future wife. Karen isn't as passionate about baseball as Takeshi is, but she enjoys the sport and encourages him. There is also culture and language barriers but the two of them have been working at it so that those particular barriers are down and out but the third and most likely, most difficult barrier is lifestyle. Karen hasn't said a word to me about her family, other than her older brother is a swordsman and has taught her self defense since she was five, along with both her parent dead for a reason she hasn't disclosed but I'm guessing her life is almost polar opposite to Takeshi's.

Karen has her own flaws, like the tendency to manipulate but she manages to stop herself from getting to far into it. Thankfully, Takeshi knows her well enough to know when she's doing it and tells her. I wonder where she learned psychology. She can also be quite intense when agitated. Finally, she seems to always close up on herself but lately, that wall seems to have decomposed. Though I haven't seen any indication of hostility, it's obvious she can be very dangerous if pushed and I don't want to be the one fighting against her. But for all the flaws she's an amazing young woman. Being courteous seems to be second nature to her along with her tendency to be a diplomat.

She said I was scary, I mused. She must have sensed my aura the same way I sensed hers. She's incredibly perceptive or intuitive or both. At any rate, I like her but I do not like the secret she's keeping.