Chapter 16: Surprise!

'Guess I'll only see you in battle now; I don't smile, or even smirk that much anymore, if I see you wearing this though I'm sure nothing will be able to stop me. Xxx'Ryou and Keiichero had left Ebony to get changed and she'd taken the note out that she had secretly slipped into her shirt after her dress had been taken off her, she'd sneakily put it down her dress before she left her house, not being able to think of any other place to put it. It made her smile as well and she was wondering if Kisshu was smiling thinking about her at the same moment, but she guessed not as he was possibly thinking she was seriously injured or dead. She sighed and pulled her dress back onto her body, it wasn't as comfy as the pyjamas but she couldn't exactly wear them to her party. She thought back on how the rest of the inspection went. 'Keiichero finally said "All we need to do now is get you bandaged up and hopefully your clothing should cover up bruises, we don't want your family to worry!" He smiled at me and then he bandaged me up…no help from Blondie either! Oh then they both went out…thankfully Ryou forgot about our talk and then the girls brought my dress in and left me to get changed…then they went back down to my cousins, haha. I hope Ichigo doesn't get too friendly, or else I wonder what Masaya will think…wait since when did I care what he thought?' She shrugged and turned to the mirror in the room.

She turned and noticed the many bruises down her back and that her legs were grazed also, thankfully the dress covered both. She had to put on gloves again as there were cuts on her hands and half-way up her arms as well. Sighing heavily, she closed her eyes and cleared her head. She quietly opened the door and slipped out, walking down the hall as quietly as she could and then she arrived at the top of the stairs.

She braced herself, placed a hand on the stair rail and took it easily step by step. She may've looked better but she was still shaken from her near-death experience and she had the worst pain in her head imaginable, she didn't want to be a bother to the others and so she refused their many offers to go and get some tablets to clear it up. She noticed a few heads turned as she walked down and so she smiled and waved to the people that did, others were too engrossed with their dancing, conversing, eating and just generally having a good time. She smiled and rolled her eyes as she saw Toshio dancing with Ayame, wearing the reddest face and cheekiest grin imaginable, Riku stood facing the wall, one arm placed on it and Ichigo sandwiched in between him and the wall a very red face and she could tell she was stuttering. Mint and Sora were laughing and she noticed Yoichi walk away from talking with her parents to greet Lettuce, who flushed brightly when Yoichi picked up one of her hands kissing it. She also saw Zakuro stood with Keiichero and Ryou, who were paying no attention to her. 'Thank goodness, I don't think I'd be able to stand it if Blondie went all stupid and caring on me right now'

It was strange, nobody else had noticed but only Ebony herself, she'd noticed she'd been referring to Ryou with old nick-names, not letting him get as close to her, she'd even noticed that she'd wiped off one of his kisses earlier, just like she did when her parents would kiss her in public when she was little. She noticed the cold feeling on her neck was the only thing keeping her calm and she looked down to see the necklace Kisshu had boughther for her birthday, she smiled at the little panda attached to it and it almost looked like it smiled back. She'd wondered why Ryou hadn't asked her about it yet with the usual questions about who it was from. Her feet finally touched the ground floor and she was greeted once again with the inviting sound of the music and drifting smell of food and birthday cake. Then she finally decided on going to see her cousins and friends first, expecting all kinds of questions.

"This should be nostalgic huh, baby?" She said as she grasped her boyfriends hand tightly, a smirk on her face.

"It sure will be honey, are you sure you only need to make one stop? You said it was really important, but you've never mentioned it the times we visited before and it's always been the same date every year,"

"Well there's something very special happening this year and I don't think I'd ever be forgiven if I forgot this," She said as she grasped the box tightly in her other hand.

"Okay honey," The couple then turned down another road and carried on walking at a medium pace, there hearts racing faster with every step closer they got.

"Hey guys, sorry I've been gone so long, and Riku?" She finally got her cousin to turn around and look at her, she then saw Ichigo look to the side, very embarrassed and finally glad to be free from him and his stupid chat-up lines.

"Yeah?" Was all he said quickly converting his attention back to the red head.

"Back off, I said she had a boyfriend didn't I? Jeez, you never change, even when we were kids you used to alwaysplay kiss chase with every girl in the street," Then she playfully pushed Riku away from the wall, grabbed Ichigo by the hand and pulled her next to her.

"And you say that like it's a bad thing Eb'!"

"That's because you were 5 years old and so it wasa bad thing! Can't you be more like Sora?" Then she watched him shake his head 'no' and they both laughed.

"I'd rather not be a nerd thank you very much,"

"Better than a player," Sora muttered and she laughed as Riku glared at him.

"Oh that's okay Eb', your friends explained why you were gone," Yoichi finally cut in, Ebony's eyebrow formed a tick-shape. 'Oh no…don't leave these guys to give an excuse, they'll probably have said something stupid like I had stomach ache or I was abducted by aliens…haha wait, never mind!' Ebony inwardly smiled and bit her lip from stopping herself laughing.

"Oh did they now? And would you care to clarify what they said with me, just so I can see if they're telling the truth?" Ebony said, dripping with sarcasm as she glared a little more with every word.

"They just said you were making out with that Blondie guy in the closet," Riku said smirking with his arms crossed as he lent against the wall, Sora then elbowed him in the stomach hard making him lurch forward.

"No,that wasn't it. They said you weren't feeling to well as you had a headache from the loud music and that you've been resting upstairs," Ebony then turned her head around to Ichigo in amazement. 'Wow, this bimbo thought of a good excuse like that…I don't belie-.' She then saw Lettuce wink at Ebony out of the corner of her eyes and it all immediately made sense. 'Of course, only Lettuce has the brains to think of something that good!'

"Ebony, come and dance with me, it's our favourite song, Na no da!" Ebony then turned her head away from her conversation and to the huge speakers at one side of the dance floor, where Pudding was stood.

'Pudding found out how the microphone works'Then she noticed Pudding whisper to the DJ who nodded and changed the track. Her eyes lit up and she smiled, immediately grabbing Ichigo, Lettuce and Mint's hands she ran over to the dance floor dragging them with her, then after she signalled for Zakuro to come over from where she was stood with Ryou and Keiichero.

"Oh no!" She heard everyone in the room shout, except Keiichero, Ryou and the other mews, who were pulling very strange faces as they didn't know what was going on. Ever since Ebony was a child she had loved this song and nothing could stop her once it came on, she would leave it on a loop and play it for hours and hours over and over whenever any of her family members were around, including Ayame and Sakura. So of course, her whole family were pretty sick of it by now. That was when it happened, the intro was finally over and the main up-beat music started. Ebony and the mews formed a circle, holding hands and began jumping round like maniacs; including Zakuro, which was quite a shock to see. They were all laughing and smiling and eventually, everyone in the room, except Keiichero who had gone to check on the cooking were in a giant circle jumping and laughing around the café. Two women sang the song and although the voices were computerised and the words were almost incomprehensible, Ebony remembered constantly singing all of it with Azami. 'This is the second time I've thought about her today. I guess I never think about her this much and I just miss her…she was my only girl cousin…it sucks having 4 boys to look after…since Yoichi was such a little brat when he was younger…even though he was one year older than me! We did have so much fun, it was like we were sisters but with different mothers obviously…oh god, this is all too much, it's my birthday I should be having fun! I won't forget about you though Azami'The song had calmed down considerably now and it was coming to a close, much to Ebony's displeasure and her family's relief. Everyone was about to return to there normal positions before they got into the giant circle, but the microphone where the DJ was made a terrible screeching sound as someone picked it up. Everyone turned there head to a smiling and slightly embarrassed Keiichero.

"Sorry about that everybody, I thought I just say that I think it would be a wonderful idea if maybe Ebony's presents were opened now? Of course it's her choice," Then everyone turned their heads to Ebony at exactly the same time; almost like when you answer a question in class and everyone turns to look at you.

"Uh…sure," Then everyone began talking amongst themselves again and they made their way around the table of gifts.

"Open ours first Ebony, Na no da! It's from all of us apart from Zakuro, she got you one of your own!" Ebony laughed as Pudding handed her a small box with pink, blue, green, purple, yellow and black wrapping paper, she didn't have to think twice about why those were the colours chosen. That was when she noticed Ryou was stood on the opposite side of the table with Keiichero and the rest of the mews. Pudding's voice then rang through her head. 'It's from all of us apart from Zakuro…that means Keiichero and Ryou as well…which means Ryou didn't get me anything separate, not that I want to sound selfish but I didn't get a gift next to my bed this morning that said 'From Kisshu…and Pai and Taruto too' did I? I'm seriously starting to see Ryou in a new light, it ain't too bright either!'She ripped the paper off as fast as she could and shoved it onto the floor next to her. She smiled as she revealed a photo-frame with panda ears sticking off the top and a picture inside of the 6 girls with Keiichero and Ryou at the back, everyone was smiling except for herself who was at the front making a peace sign with her hand and her tongue stuck out.

"Awww, thank you guys, I love it! This is so going next to bed at home!" Everyone laughed and she carefully placed it on the table beside her, getting up to hug all of them.

"Here's mine Ebony, I saw it and thought it wouldn't hurt to get you something a little extra," Zakuro handed her a rectangle shaped box with 'Happy Birthday' written all over it in the English alphabet. She tore the paper away violently and was slightly shocked to see a box with a picture of a skateboard on the front, She then tore the box open as well and as she guessed there was a skateboard inside, there was a picture of a cartoon panda eating a bamboo on the bottom of it and the wheels were see-through.

"I know you said you were a tom-boy when you were little and that you used to love skate-boarding but you gave up on it as you grew-up, if you like something you don't have to stop doing it just because other girls don't think it's cool, so I got you this so you can carry on skate-boarding and ignore what other people think of you, otherwise they'll have me and the rest of the girls to deal with!"

"Haha, thanks Zakuro, I'll consider going home on this if I don't fancy the limo again!" She then placed that back onto the table, although it was immediately snapped up by her cousins so they could look at it, she rolled her eyes as her Uncle and Auntie stepped forward.

"This is from us and your idiot cousins over there who just happen to be our sons,"

"Thank you Auntie Chiyo, Uncle Hiroshi and you idiots!" She said referring to her cousins at the end. As she rolled her eyes once again at the ramen stain on the top and ripped past it revealing the newest portable music player the EarCandy and as she turned it on she noticed a 100 songs were already uploaded onto it.

"We didn't really know what kinds of songs were 'hip' so the boys did it for you," Her Uncle said, just as she placed it onto the table next to her.

"Oh no, I hate to expect what's going to be on there then, probably all the stuff they know I hate and not my favourites," Then she smiled as she noticed Yoichi wink at her as if to say 'maybe, maybe not'.

"Here's mine Ebony, I hope you like it, I haven't seen that much of you recently though and so I'm still not sure…since you have new friends and everything now, not that I don't like you guys, you're great!" Ayame said, referring to the mews, they nodded and smiled, they all understood, especially Ichigo as she remembered her old two best friends, Miwa and Moe.

"I'm sorry about that Ayame, I haven't changed at all trust me so whatever it is I'm sure I'll like it, and you and Sakura are always going to be my two best, best friends, even if I don't see you for a while!" The girls shared a quick hug each and Ebony sat down again as she received an envelope. She opened, it was an ordinary birthday card with a picture of the three at the beach laughing on the front, Ebony smiled as she the memory re-played in her mind. She opened the card and a piece of rectangle card fell out of it. She caught it just before it fell and read it aloud.

"Ticket for one, granting entry to the; Japan Jam music festival. Including: V.I.P entrance to visit Frosted Kitty Nightclub, Karate Continental, Peace Complete and Momoka and the Chopsticks! Ayame, this must've been so hard to get are you coming with me?"

"Sakura and I are coming with you, and they weren't that hard to get considering my dad's, friends', sons, girlfriend's, cousins is best friends with the drummer in Karate Continental!"

"Ayame that's so frickin' cool!"

"I know!" She shouted back as the three girls all hugged again and squealed slightly.

"Well my present isn't as cool as Ayame's but it is sort of…linkedto what she got you," Sakura said as she handed Ebony a black bag with a random fruit pattern on it. 'That Sakura, she was always…different, haha'Ebony's hands were shaking with excitement as she opened the bag and pulled out its contents. Inside there were neon, glow in the dark t-shirts, sunglasses and jewellery for her to wear when she went to the concert and at the bottom of the bag there was a brand new digital camera, Ebony's mouth dropped as she stared at Sakura.

"It's so we can take tonnes of pictures and videos of our favourite bands! Then we can put the pictures up on our homepages so all the other people can be jealous, mwahahaha!"

"Sakura you crazy weirdo, thank you, I love it all so much!" That was when all the other members of her family that were present were throwing their presents at her, wanting to see her face when she opened them.

"It's going to be a long day, haha!" Ebony said as a box was thrown at her off of her granddad, although she had no idea how he'd managed it, then she noticed a smirking Toshio stood next to him and she rolled her eyes.

"Before I open this do you think I can just get a glass of water?"

"Ebony, the table with the water is just by the door,"

"Okay, thank you Keiichero," The music was put on shortly as Ebony got up from her seat and too two steps forward.

"Wow, it's still as gruesome as ever, I don't know how anyone stands to look at it,"

"Oh be quiet Akito, you were the one who agreed on pink with Ryou because you knew it would attract more girls!"

"That's true Anzu, but you don't have to make me sound like a pervert!" The couple laughed as each took five steps forward through the archway of the café path.

"It sounds like it's busy,"

"Well it is a café honey,"

"But it says 'closed' on that sign by the door…"

"Well we'll just have to be the party crashers then won't we?"

"Mh-hm, guess so," Anzu squeezed the box in her hand a little tighter as she heard the word 'party'.

Ebony was away from the bustling crowd now and at least 5 steps from the door, she would be just by the water table soon, the one right next to the entrance.

Anzu's heart beating speed picked up considerably as she finally took a deep-breath and placed her hand on the cold metal door handle.

Ebony was now directly in front of the door, stood by the table, she reached her hand out and grabbed a glass of cold, refreshing water as she brought it to her lips.

Anzu grasped the handle tightly and felt the weight of the heavy door as she pulled it open, her first foot stepping inside, then her second, Akito's feet following firmly behind. They were finally inside the café and the heavy smell of food and feeling of excitement rushed through them.

Ebony turned her head to the slamming door, her eyes widened, her heart was beating at a hundred miles a minute, her knees became shaky and her palms became sweaty…causing the glass to slip out of her hand. It smashed onto the floor causing a sickening smash.

Anzu jumped in shock as she heard a glass being dropped from her left, she turned to look at the figure that had dropped it and her knees became weak. She would've fallen over if Akito hadn't kindly caught her. Of course it had by now caused everyone to turn around, everyone who was a member of Ebony's families' mouths dropped.

"A-A-A…" Ebony could only stutter, she tried but she just couldn't spit the name out no matter how hard she tried, she only heard her heart beating and the sound of desperate, running footsteps coming towards her, then she felt strong hands wrap around her and everything became clear again, she finally swallowed and the word allowed itself to come out. This girl in front of her…right there staring at her, possibly thinking the same thing was…

"Azami!" Her cousin that she hadn't seen for years was there in front of her with a strange boy, she still looked the same as she did as a child, and just her features had become more mature looking.

"Anzu!" Ryou had shouted at exactly the sametime Ebony had spoken. Ebony's eyes widened and she pushed Ryou off of her immediately making him stumble back slightly.

"Anzu?"

"Azami?" They both repeated the names at the same time except as a question, Ryou had said 'Azami' and Ebony had said 'Anzu', they were both unsure of who the person in front of them was.

"Well…this isn't awkward…" The girl said sarcastically as she rolled her eyes; exactly like Ebony would've done if she were in the situation.

"Anzu, who are these people? Apart from Ryou over there," The boy next to her said.

"Well Akito…this girl here is…well…she's my…cousin Ebony,"

CHAPTER END