***Epilouge***
***Narrator POV***
Ai breathed a sigh, while gazing at the clear blue sky on this Saturday afternoon. She sucked in a sharp breath of the warm humid summer air, and exhaled. The sun gleamed brightly, making her hair seem light brown, rather than dark brown. She turned back to the group she was spending her day with.
"It's already been 5 months since then." She stated for no apparent reason, randomely scanning back on the memories of months before.
"That's history now. Why keep dwelling on it?" Rika asked casually, holding her arms high above her head to stretch. She made small "ah" sounds as she stretched her arms out.
"Because we shouldn't forget important times." Ai pouted stubbornly, just like she had said 5 months ago. She placed a hand over her mouth and yawned loudly and sleepily.
"We should remember good and bad times, right?" John added, mockingly. He was doing his best impression of Ai from 5 months ago, which aggravated the girl. She shot him the meanest glare she could manage which didn't end up being that mean at all, causing John to burst into a hearty laughter. Ai stuck her lower lip outward and pouted.
"Hey! It's true!" She insisted giving John a small punch on the shoulder. He laughed like the punch felt like nothing to him. She groaned, obviously irritated by how whatever she did couldn't affect him anymore.
"What else did you say that day? Besides the bad things obviously." Rika thought aloud.
"Oh yeah. For you to know, and me to find out?" John recalled with a small playful smirk forming on his face. Ai grumbled quietly, hoping he would just drop the subject. After all, embarrassing the heck out of herself wasn't exactly the kind of thing she'd want to add to her agenda for the day.
"Hmm...yeah. I SUPPOSS I said something along the lines of that." She frowned, looking back on the situation. No, she'd said the exact same thing as that, and her feeling were way stronger now than they were then. She must've been pretty bold back then, because she knew she'd never dare to say what she'd said back then. At least not if she didn't want her face to light up a bright pretty shade of pink.
"I never did find out, did I?" He added. She gulped nervously and giggled awkwardly. Darn it. If only he would make it easy for her and just drop the subject, but no, he kept pressing on. Her face was already starting the transition from pale creamy chalk white, to cherry red.
"You didn't?" She asked awkwardly, making it sound more of a statement than a question, because she of course, had already known that he hadn't figured it out yet. Otherwise, they'd already be frolicking hand in hand.
"Nnn..." He confirmed, shaking his head from side to side, "Would you mind telling me your secret?" He smiled to himself, knowing what her answer would be. She'd probably say 'No way in hell', and smack him. Not that'd it'd hurt that much. He'd gotten much stronger since that day.
"Actually, I think I will." She smirked, throwing him off guard. Woah. He didn't expect that she'd actually agree to tell him. His heart picked up pace, throbbing rapidly in his chest, as he awaited her answer. Somewhere in his mind he still somehow doubted that she was actually going to tell him. Actually, a BIG part of his mind considered that it was all a trick, and he mostly thought it was. Still, There could be that slight possibility that she really was ready to tell him who the mystery guy is. Yeah right. Like she'd actually do that. This IS Ai we're talking about here.
"It's you."
"Huh?" He grunted, dumbfounded. She giggled and gave him a quick peck on the cheek.
"Deaf much?" She asked sarcastically before skipping down the street satisfied with her response. Actually, it never felt better after she had all her feelings lifted right off her chest. There goes her last ounce of stress left.
"Wait for me, Ai!" Rika wailed, chasing after her. She clung onto the girl's arm, as they continued down the street. John still stood completely still in shock and confusion. He let the words run through his head. It had taken him a while to completely process what she'd just said, and once he had he'd turned bright red.
"W-Wait up!" He yelled, flustered.
"Yuki Tsuki" The therapist, Sora, called. The boy appeared in his room only seconds later, already knowing the routine. He slipped onto the chair laying his back down. Sora drew out his ball point pen, and tapped his chart of the previous sessions.
"You've been making rapid improvement." Sora announced, staring down at the chart from his slim back rimmed glasses. He tore the glasses off, and set them down on the counter beside him. "You are an extremely bright kid, possibly the smartest I've ever attitude has been improving, as well as your feelings towards things. We just need to let your protective walls you set up, to fall down a bit more. You need to trust more people. But let's try and begin this session on a high note."
"Doctor Sora?" Yuki interrupted. He was different from before of course. All he'd remembered of that day was waking up to find that the man he'd been fighting earlier was now carrying him...somewhere. He'd already then figured that he'd lost the fight. Feeling alarmed and sensing danger, he used his power to read the cat earred man's mind. He read it thourghly and realized that the man meant no harm, and let himself drift back to sleep. Now was way different. His only remaining family had been found, and he was sent off to live with his loving aunt. Through his sessions with Doctor Sora, he'd learn to express feelings. He'd started to love his aunt, like a real family should. He still wasn't easy to trust other people, and hadn't made many friends.
"Yes?" The therapist called, still staring at his clipboard with a thoughtful expression. Yuki took a deep breath before asking the question he'd wanted to know all his life. Doctor Sora had avoided it before, and decided to save it for later, but he needed to know, NOW.
"Why is it that I can read minds?" He breathed courageously. He'd finally done it. Finally found the courage to ask about his powers. Now he was prepared for the truth.
"Are you sure you're prepared for this?" Sora questioned. He often worried whether to tell Yuki or not, wondering whether the truth would be believeable to him at this point. Even he didn't quite believe it at first, but after his experiences with Yuki, soon forced himself to. "I don't want you to feel pressured to know about this. The truth sometimes is to hard to bear, so I need to make sure you can handle it. Sometime people end up going crazy or-"
"I'm ready." Yuki interrupted with a grin. He always thought it was funny how Sora had a bad habit of rambling. Of course, he'd only found it funny after he'd found the ability to make use of emotions. That was something Sora helped him find. He was now able to feel all kinds of things. Especially graditude towards the cat man named Ikuto that had helped him back then.
He rumaged through his pocket and clutched the small piece of paper he had hidden with him for so long. It was a suvenior, a memory of that night when he was defeated. He was glad he finally was. The man dropped him off in front of Sora's house, and threw him a piece of paper with numbers on it. "Stay here for a while until a man comes out. He'll help you. You can keep the paper. It has my number on it. Call me if you need me." He had said.
There were times when Yuki wanted to burn the paper or rip it into pieces, but he just couldn't bring himself to do it. Maybe it was because he knew the cat earred man was right. He knew he needed help, and he wasn't the way a human should be or act like.
"That night you showed up at my office, I searched to find any of your living relatives. I had found your aunt. I also found some BIZARRE stuff." Sora explained, making a distorted face as he emphasized the word bizarre. He had a strange look of a mixture of doubt and confusion. "I was just skimming through your family heritage lines and other stuff, and found some weird stuff on your mother's side."
"What kind of stuff?" Yuki sighed, half not believing what he was hearing. His mother? Weird? What was she? A serial killer or something?
"This may be hard to believe, but her family tree traces all the way back to the Salem Witch Trial is Massachusetts. It seems one of your ancestors was accused of being a witch and having physchic powers. Of course your ancestor was proved guilty, and put to death, but she had a child before she died. It seems at least one person each generation in your family chain has inherited these strange powers. Yours is to read minds."
Yuki's eyes were bulging out of its sockets, in disbelief. He believed Sora. How could he not believe him? But still... Then again, this whole situation with his mind reading powers was unbelievable. So why shouldn't he believe this? It was logical, and very easy to accept. He could just take this as an answer, and have his easy way out. He wouldn't have to search for his answers anymore.
"I was talking to your aunt. She said that she was always jealous of your mother's powers. " He stiffled a small laugh, before turning serious again. "Here." He grasped a small crumbled piece of paper and held it out to Yuki. Yuki stared at the paper, gaping. He pointed to himself and mouthed the words "For me?" Sora nodded grimly. Even he didn't read it yet. Sora would've felt that he'd be invading their privacy if he did.
"Your aunt told me it was a note your mother left for you. I was waiting for the right time to give it to you. I guess that's now." Yuki reluctantly uncrumbled the paper and smoothed it out. He read through the letter, letting a few teardrops let loose and drip onto the paper.
"Mother and father loved me a lot didn't they? They didn't want to leave me all alone in this world, but they could'nt help that they were being persude." He sucked back the tears that were threatening to come out. "I will carry on the family line for them. I won't be the last one with these...powers."
"That's good to hear." Sora smiled gently. "Let's wrap the session up. I'd imagine that this is enough for the day." Yuki nodded thoughtfully and grinned. Now he knew he was ready for anything that would come his way. He was ready to face the world.
"I told him! -Ai" Rima read through the text, squealing mentally. Good for Ai. It was about time they finally got their feelings for each other out. It's already been 5 months, that's way more time than they needed. Rima scanned through her mind for all the things she could write back, but found nothing. She settled for just about the lamest thing she could reply.
"Good for you guys! -Rima" She texted back.
"Who're you texting?" Nagihiko asked, looking over her shoulder. She sighed and slipped her phone into her pocket with a pout.
"None of your buisness." She replied stubbornly. She let out a big sigh. "Ai. She finally told John."
"It's about time." Nagihiko nodded in agreement.
"That's what I thought too." She then smirked nastilly, "But then again...you took long enough too." She giggled, tapping her chin in a thinking position with her pointer finger.
"Hey! So did Ikuto, Tadase, and Kukai!" Nagihiko defended, with a grin plastered to his face.
"I guess you're all just scaredy cats then."
"At least I said it first!" Nagihiko argued.
"Guys are suppossed to confess first, idiot!" There was a short silence as Rima stared into the clear blue sky, thoughtfully.
"This is actually kinda nice once in a while. I miss it."
"What?"
"Arguing like this." She answered happily, "It reminds me of the beginning. Not that the beginning was my favorite part...but it was kinda fun."
"I know what you mean."
"We're kind of like fire and water." She added.
"How so?" He asked curiously, although he could probably make the comparison. He wanted to hear her thoughts on the subject.
""Fire and water are apposing forces, right? Yet they always seem to go together like a pair. People don't usually compare other elements together too often, like fire and earth. Water always douses the fire out."
"Then in that way, I'd be the water and you the fire?" He questioned. She pouted stubbornly.
"I wanted to be the water?" He laughed heartily.
"You? I'm sorry, but you seem more like a fire."
""Well water is cool, and I think I seem way cooler than you purplehead!"
"And I think not." She made a slight growling sound.
"Fine. You can be the water...what matters is that fire and water are ALWAYS catergorized together. Therefore, like that, we'll always be together."
"Sounds like a plan. I like that idea." He grinned, moving closere into her.
"Me too." She agreed before he gave her a quick peck on the lips.