Sai's Pen Pal

Chapter five

Sadness! I feel terrible! Oh my gosh you guys are gonna hate me! T.T

~Pros and Cons~

Fijui still hadn't replied.

It had been twice the usual time and Sai was thinking about her more than usual. There was an uncomfortable feeling in his stomach. He had read somewhere that it was called 'worry'. 'Why would I be worried for her?' he asked himself as he checked his mailbox. 'She's alright-'

A letter addressed to him in familiar handwriting lay in there. Upon seeing it, his worry only increased. Slowly, he took it back up to his apartment and opened it up.

Dear Sai,

I'm sorry it took awhile. It's just that... when you said to say hi to my sister, I couldn't. She ran off and eloped with her boyfriend, Kione. I hate him. He took my sister away when I needed her the most!

Than isn't helping either. I'm happy enough with our relationship, but he doesn't even try to comfort me about it. Mom and Dad are too bust worrying over her to even look at me. Seriously, I'm doing everything.

Sometimes, I feel like you're the only one I can turn to. That's why I like you, Sai. No matter what I say, you always reply. At least someone likes me.

Kione's parents live out of town... I suppose that's where they went. I really wish she'd never met him. This sounds crazy, but I really wish we could meet in real life. Then you could give me some ideas faster than letter communication. Any ideas?

Don't call the kids who sit on his lap little brats! I used to be one of them! Not a little brat, but one who sat on his lap. And as for the lying... That's another reason I like you. You understand me so well, and only through letters. I'm not gonna tell you why I lie unless you say the magic word!

Your friend,

Fijui

(P.S. Sorry about the blurs.)

The page was spotted with dots that did indeed blur the page in the upper paragraphs. 'She was crying when she wrote this... Why is that?' Sai asked himself. Now he was seriously worried. 'I needed her the most... Why does she need her sister? It's not like her sister cares,' he thought as he took his black ink pen and put it to paper.

Dear Fijui,

I'm sorry to hear about your sister. Kione seems to be a dickless pansy. Your sister doesn't deserve to be related to you if she's going to be like that. You're much better then her, don't forget that.

Than must be related to Kione. Enough said.

What's wrong? Please tell me, I'm truly curious. Friends help each other out. I hope you trust me enough to tell me.

I think it's time you learned a little more about myself. My teammates are Naruto, Sakura, Kakashi, and Yamato.

He went on to describe them, using as much detail as he could. As long as he focused on that, he could try and ignore the nagging feeling in his stomach.

Of course I would respond. That's why I'm your pen pal. And... Would you like to visit Konoha? I'm sure the Hokage wouldn't mind. Respond soon.

Your friend,

Sai

(P.S. Happy birthday.)

Sai took out some oil pastels and went outside to sit on the roof facing the mountain. Starting with the outline of the mountain in pencil, he filled in all the details and started coloring. He made the sky a darkish blue, like it was dusk.

Darkening the hue of the original colors, he colored the mountain and some of the building obscuring it. When he was finished, he looked over it. For some reason, he wanted to make sure it was absolutely perfect.

He went back inside and found a larger envolope, one that could fit her birthday present inside. Hoping that she liked it, he dropped it off in the mailbox and went back home to lay down on his bed. Putting his arms behind his head, he looked up at the dark ceiling. 'Happy birthday, Fijui. I hope I'm not too late nor too early.'

. . .

Fijui sighed. She was lying in the couch, reading a book. It was 11:58, and the mail carrier came at noon. He was always on time. She put her book down. Still 11:58. "C'mon," she grumbled, shifting to her stomach.

She desperately wanted to write back to Sai. Astra was out of town on a vacation with Donovan, and Than had a mission. That kind of relieved Fijui, since he was starting to take their relationship a little too seriously. She glanced over her shoulder. 11:59.

Aggravated, she put her book down and stalked over to the door. To her surprise, he mother sat out there. "Mom?" asked Fijui, stepping outside. The woman was crying pitifully into her hands. "Mom, it's alright," said her daughter, sitting down next to her.

"I-I-I can't handle it! I m-might lose both of my babies!"

The girl fell silent, placing a hand over her heart. "Azora ran off and y-you..." She leaned forward, the tears spilling through her fingers. The mail carrier came up and wordlessly handed three letters to Fijui, keeping his eyes a aerated from her mother. The girl looked on the back of all of them. Two were addressed to her parents, and one was addressed to her.

She left the two on the porch next to her mother and left, feeling a sick knot in her stomach. She headed to the library, her bottom lip quivering. When she was there, she placed her return book in the return slot. With that, she grabbed the newest issue of her favorite manga and sat down at a table.

After reading, she took out the picture he had drawn her. With all the drama at her house, she had forgotten completely about her birthday. She realized that this must be the Konoha mountain. 'Wow,' she thought, her eyes widening. He really was a lot better then she was. He had such a skilled hand.

"Are you okay, Dear?"

She jumped and looked around. Than's brother stood there, a little smirk on his face. "I'm fine," she said, tucking the letter and drawing away. Clutching the envelope and the manga to her chest, she checked the book out and went back home.

As soon as she entered the kitchen, she knew that it was bad news. Her mother was still sobbing, but this time it was filled with wails. "Fijui," her father said, but she grabbed the letter sitting on the table and started reading.

Dear Mr. and Mrs. Cieraa,

We are afraid to inform you that the second test conducted on your daughter, Cieraa Fijui, has come back positive. The tumor in her heart is going to continue to grow larger. We also believe that the cancer will spread.

You do, however, have a couple of options. You may try chemotherapy or a surgery. They are both expensive and both have their pros and cons.

Chemotherapy uses drugs to treat, as you know. It has been successful in the past, but it won't always work.

The surgery is far more risky, especially since we'll be working around the heart. But it has been far more successful than chemotherapy.

We hope you make your decision soon. Have a nice day.

Sincerely,

The Iwa Hospital

Fijui put the letter down and turned around, running up the stairs. Burying her face in her arms after collapsing on her bed, she sobbed herself into a dreamless sleep.

. . .

That's why she pretends to be happy! She's dying!

Fijui: Don't sound so exited. -.-'

Sorry! It just makes sense now! You might never see Sai!

Sai: -.-'

^^ Review!