Hey, thanks for reading my book. This is my first AN because my last chapter was my first on . So I just want to clear things up, because I ran out of characters in the summary. First of all, I own Aria as well as Aster. I do not own the plot line, except the parts that do not appear in the cartoons. And yes, these are from the cartoons, because I have never read the comics. If you think LloydXAster is strange because they're just kids, they don't stay kids for long, because in the cartoons they grow up, and there will be no shipping until then. So bear with me. I don't like writing ANs, so bye for now.

*Kai*

The sounds of metal clashing rang through the air, much like they had five years ago, when Aria had arrived. But today the opponents were different. Hotaru and Tsunami stood on the side lines, shouting instructions, while a sweating Nya, whose match had ended a few minutes ago, called out encouragement. Kai swung his sword lazily at his adopted sister, who was struggling to hold a katana taller as she was. "Careful, Aster," he teased, jumping out of reach. "You might stub a toe." Making a face at him she began a series of attacks. Surprised at her speed and ferocity, he stumbled backwards, tripping over a rock and falling flat on his back.

"I win!" she cheered, jumping up and down on Kai's feet.

"Because I let you," Kai lied, getting up and brushing the gravel off his legs. She blew a raspberry at him in response, and danced off with Nya, still waving her sword in the air wildly. Hotaru walked over to Kai, grinning.

"Beaten by a 5-year-old girl," he said, shaking his head. "Shame on you, Kai." Nami chortled in response, but her laughter died away as she broke into a fit of coughing. Hotaru and Kai looked at her with concern. Recently, his mother had been infected with a serious bout of flu. She had made a recovery, but she was still subject to coughing. They had called a doctor, and refused to tell Kai, Nya and Aster the results.

"Mom, are you okay-" Kai began to ask, before his mother collapsed. Hotaru caught her not a second too early, cradling her in his arms.

"Get the girls," he instructed in a hoarse voice. As he turned towards the house, Kai could have sworn he'd seen the cold glitter of a tear on his father's face. Hotaru whispered something to his mother, who gave no response.

*Aster*

"Nya! Aster!" Kai's desperate voice echoed through the corridor as he burst into their shared room. "You gotta come with me," he panted. Aster looked at Nya and saw her fear reflected in her older sister's eyes. Following Kai's lead, they ran in terrified silence, to their parents' room. She'd never liked sneaking into it and treasure hunting like Kai and Nya did. She couldn't explain why, but an almost ghostly instinct told her of deaths in that room. She now knew her instincts were right.

The door was open, and in it were two quiet, still figures. One was kneeling by the bed in uncharacteristic silence; the other was stationery on the bed, the rise and fall of her chest slowing down, and eventually coming to a halt. Nya gave a wail, and rushed forwards to clutch her dead mother's hand, while Kai stood there in the doorway, as cold and distant as his father.

Aster took a few tentative steps forward, and placed a small hand on Tsunami's cheek. "Mom," she whispered as a solitary tear traced its way down her cheek. "Mom," she sobbed again, falling to her knees. As if out of a trance, her father wrapped his arms around his two distraught daughters, and Kai joined their embrace without hesitation.

She never knew if they were minutes or hours, but after some time, they broke apart. "Aster," Hotaru rasped. "I need to talk to you. Alone," he added with a significant look at Kai and Nya, who unsteadily got to their feet and left, with a knowing look in their eyes.

"Do you want to hear a story?" he asked gently. Aster nodded, mute. Anything, as long as it distracted her. "Five years ago," he began softly, "A young woman came here. She was tired, hurt, and pregnant." He paused before continuing, "She stayed with us for a week. Then her baby was born, but the mother was cursed, because of who the father was. She died in this room, after we promised to look after her child-"

"No, stop!" Aster interrupted, covering her ears. "I don't want to hear about fake deaths, not when Mom is…" She trailed off, not wanting to finish.

Hotaru smiled sadly. "But it's not a fake death," he said. "It's a true story, and Aster…" He reached out and held her hands. "You are that child."

*Nya*

It was night, when small feet padded into their room. Kai on the top of their bunk bed had already fallen asleep, but Nya lay there, waiting for her adopted little sister to come in. She and Kai had known immediately what their father wanted to talk to Aster about, and had seen it coming for years. They had known the moment would arrive ever since their parents had come out of their room clutching a bundle, whom they called Aster.

She knew the truth must have hurt, and she wouldn't blame Aster for getting angry. But it was a forlorn figure that slipped into bed that night. Nya reached out and held her little sister to her chest. Aster made no move to escape but stayed there, curled up against who she now knew to be an adopted older sister.

But when Aster finally spoke, it wasn't to accuse her of knowing, and withholding information, but to ask a question that Nya had asked Kai only half an hour ago. "Do you think Mom is happier now?"

"I don't know," she said awkwardly. "I only knew her for a week…"

To Nya's surprise, she felt Aster smile. "No, stupid," she chided. "I mean our mom."

"Oh," Nya mumbled, inwardly smacking herself. "Of course she is. She's with her best friend now, and she can watch Dad 24/7, and laugh every time Kai beats him when they're sparring." After a tentative pause, Nya asked a question that had been preying on her mind for some time- "Are you OK?"

"Yes," Aster answered carefully. "I'll always be grateful to my mother, for all she suffered to bring me into the world, but your parents are the ones who raised me. And to me, they'll always be Mom and Dad. And you and Kai will always be my brother and sister."

Nya chuckled. Her five-year-old sister, the philosopher. "Get some sleep-" Her suggestion was punctuated with a loud thump and a groan as Kai fell out of his bed. "You were eavesdropping, weren't you," she accused.

Kai shrugged unrepentantly. "So what is I was? Love you too," he added, climbing into the double bed underneath. Nya gave an irritated huff as Kai's hair began to tickle her nose, and Aster let out a sneeze, before cuddling up to Kai. Nya smiled, and followed suit. The three siblings curled up together, and soon began to snore in unison.

When the first rays of daylight began to shine through the window, Hotaru pushed the door open, and slowly, he felt the chains on his heart loosen as he saw the three of them bundled up in a tight ball. No matter where Nami was, he'd always have his children.

None of them ever dreamed he might be wrong.