Chapter 6 - Runabout

Kaya hated the clutter of moving boxes and things that didn't have a place yet, but the new condo was worth it. Wrapped in a light, short sleeved robe, she stood on the wide balcony that ran the span between her bedroom and the ridiculously large kitchen and looked out over the stunning view she had of the city. Sunrise draped everything in a pale orange glow, warm air wafting between the buildings and across the treetops, breathing a new life into the day. This was all hers now, and it felt good.

She did feel just a pang of guilt over that. The last year had been difficult for both her and Ami. Especially Ami, with Suoh disappearing almost completely from her life. This was going to be a new start for both of them, though. She already had some after-school programs lined up to complement Ami's classes at her new school, and she was certain this would help Ami find children she could better relate to.

Kaya's thumb absently fiddled at the empty space on her ring finger. As for herself, this was the first time since she was twenty that she'd been entirely single. It was an odd sort of feeling, one she was still trying to get used to, but it was… good? She nodded. Yes, this was also good.

There was just one more thing she needed to do so they could fully move into this new phase of their lives.

But first, coffee.

Kaya moved through her bedroom, stepping around boxes and rethinking her desk placement while also wondering where Ami had gone. The little girl had gotten up sometime in the middle of the night, taking her pillow with her. Perhaps she had found her bravery and gone to sleep in her own room.

A quick check disproved that theory. The temporary reading nook was her next guess. They'd fashioned it like a tent with dining chairs and extra blankets to help ease the chaos of the livingroom. It would do until she could figure out how to organize their library on the built-in shelves that wrapped around half the room and made her almost as giddy as the clawfoot tub.

Able to see Ami's form outlined by a flashlight under the blankets, Kaya left the girl to her reading and moved into the kitchen. The wall of glass shelves that separated the two rooms gave her a perfect view to keep an eye on Ami while she searched for all the components to make her coffee. Which turned out to be a harder task than it should have been.

Opening a third box, Kaya came up with a suitable mug but still no bag of coffee. It wasn't in the freezer where it should have been and hadn't been misplaced on a shelf or left in the box of non-perishables. She had found a lovely cooking pot she hadn't seen since she got married and a full set of dishes she didn't remember buying, but not so much as a stray coffee bean was anywhere in her kitchen.

"Okay, this is ridiculous. Ami!"

Ami's head popped out between the blankets of her tent, her hair tousled and her thumb in her mouth.

Kaya let out a small sigh. Her father was going to say something about that. She'd worry about that when they saw him, though. Right now, she really needed some coffee if she was going to get through signing these papers today. "We need to hurry a bit, sweetie. Looks like we have to stop at the coffee shop for breakfast before we go meet your pop-pop and Shigeru-san."

Ami nodded, then hurried off to her room with Kaya close behind.

Forty-five minutes later, they were washed and dressed. Kaya finished pinning a white bow to the side of Ami's hair, then straightened the matching bow on the front of her navy blue dress before deciding she was satisfied with it all. She ran her hands over her own gray skirt, wondering if she should have gone for a basic white blouse rather than the satiny pale pink she'd chosen. It was too late to second guess it now, though.

"Did you remember your chess set?" she asked as she slid into a pair of low heels.

"Yes, ma'am," answered Ami, holding up her brand new Detective Mouse backpack. "Shigeru-san taught me new strategy to use when we play Pop-pop."

Kaya smiled at her. Her father's old friend doubled nicely as their lawyer and gave her father the excuse he needed to visit now that he was retired and couldn't use work as a cover for his travels. Recently, he'd also been doubling as a sort of parental figure for her. Shigeru-san had held her hand and calmed her frustrations through months of trying to pin Suoh down long enough to serve him the divorce papers, because apparently her ex thought just moving out with nothing more than the occasional drawing on a postcard to Ami was going to be enough. During all of that, Shigeru-san had started playing chess with Ami, and she'd caught on with remarkable speed. Perhaps she would impress her grandfather enough that he wouldn't mention the thumb-sucking. Because honestly, if that was the worst damage that came out of the last year, she didn't care if Ami sucked her thumb until she was 30.

Settling her briefcase on her shoulder, Kaya checked one last time to make sure she had her wallet and keys, then took Ami's hand. Together they walked out into the morning and that much closer to freshly brewed coffee.

Minako danced around her mother in the kitchen as Kaede tried not to trip over her own slippers getting to the kettle to make some tea. The ruffled bubble sleeves, sunflower print, and bright yellow shorts were a bit much for Kaede this early in the morning, but she couldn't blame the girl for her excited energy. For Minako, a shopping trip with Jiro was far more fun than sleeping in on summer break. Kaede shook her head. Not that Jiro was on summer break. But he didn't seem to have any problem finding a day off to go shopping. Kaede grumbled to herself as she turned on the kettle. She would prefer he find himself a promotion instead.

Oblivious to her mother's unhappy mumblings, Minako skipped over to the cabinet, climbed up on the stepstool, and pulled down her favorite box of cereal. Not concerned about a bowl or milk, she opened the top and picked out a rainbow marshmallow. "What time is it, mama?"

Kaede squinted at the clock. "7:45."

"Oh! My show is about to start!"

Kaede chuckled as Minako dashed out of the kitchen. As expressive as Minako was about everything, she shouldn't have been surprised at the instant addiction to the morning drama. Or how the girl would reenact the entire 15 minute episode during its second airing in the afternoon.

Not concerned that she'd left her mother behind, Minako found the chunky tv remote and put on the right channel. She bounced from foot to foot, humming the jingle to her cereal commercial as she waited for the morning news to wrap up. The man who never smiled had the same old dark suit on as he did every morning. Minako didn't think she liked him very much. The woman, though, was wearing a pretty purple blouse with a floppy bow tied at the collar. She didn't smile much, either, but she seemed nice. Except this morning she looked sad as she talked about the news.

Minako wasn't really listening to what they were saying. Instead, her attention was drawn to the video in the corner of the screen. A little girl with pretty brown hair rested her head on the shoulder of the man who held her. Her face was turned into his neck so Minako couldn't see it, and she had a black headband in her hair that matched the dress she was wearing. The man rocked the girl, and he looked sad, too.

Frowning, Minako set down the cereal box and walked up to the tv to put her hand over the girl.

"Such a shame," said her mother quietly as she came into the room and settled on the couch. "But that's what happens when you don't put any thought into who you marry. Something happens and your child gets left behind to be raised by a foreigner."

Minako's frown deepened. Why had the girl been left behind? Maybe she needed a friend. "I'll be your friend," she whispered, her hand moving to tug at the Solar Flare charm around her neck.

"Should she be watching that?" Jiro asked as he came into the room still in his pajamas. He leaned down and gave Kaede a kiss, more habit than heartfelt.

Kaede waved off his concern. "She's fine. And it's about to go off, anyway."

"You're not dressed!" exclaimed Minako when she turned around and saw him.

"Nothing's even open yet. We've got plenty of time," returned Jiro. He stepped over to her and scooped her up, rubbing their noses together and getting a laugh out of her. He gave her a bounce, then deposited her on the couch next to her mother. "Watch your soap opera while I get breakfast and finish getting dressed. I promise we'll be there when they open the doors."

Having been summoned by the tug on the charm, Alandra watched Minako through a ripply viewing portal. She tapped her finger to her lips, interpreting the child's words as a request. After a moment's thought, she looked down at her kirkri. "A friend is a simple enough thing. After all, despite her parentage and complete lack of training, my young priestess is quite affable. We just have to put them in each other's paths."

The kirkri nodded in agreement. Then Alandra waved away the viewing portal and lifted her familiar onto her shoulder. They nodded to each other, fully set on their task, then blinked away.

The trip was short-lived.

When they popped back in a few minutes later, Alandra was shaking her head no, the glow of her golden hair leaving after-images in the darkness of her living space as her kirkri jumped from her shoulder.

The kirkri let out a plaintive trill.

"Absolutely not. I don't care if this lost Jovian is the one she specifically asked for." The little goddess's brow furrowed as her frown deepened. "She belongs to my Aunt Aylin. Two of her Guardians so close to each other… it can't be a coincidence. What is my aunt doing?"

Sitting up on its hind legs, the kirkri tilted its head in question and chittered.

"And how am I supposed to ask her?" answered Alandra. She clasped her hands behind her back and started to pace. "I can sense her out there, doing whatever she's doing. But I can't find her any more than I can the others. Stupid universe falling apart and separating me from them. And whatever she's planning, I don't want to accidentally interfere."

She stopped pacing, took a deep breath, then gave a decisive nod as some slight adjustments to the little priestess' request took shape. Behind her, a large corkboard on a rolling stand appeared, a school picture of Makoto tacked to it in a corner and a picture of Minako in the middle. Alandra waved her hand and a red X marked over Makoto's picture.

"She can't have the Jupiter Guardian, so we'll just make sure she finds another friend." She smiled widely at her familiar. "You shall accompany her today so we can fulfill her request. This will be quite easy."

Sitting beside her mother in one of the tall chairs at the make-up counter, Usagi giggled at her reflection as the saleswoman held a mirror in front of her. She puckered her lips, the pink lipgloss the woman had put on her almost as shiny as her new patent leather shoes. And it tasted like cotton candy. "Can I have some, mama? Please!"

Ikkuko nodded, and the saleswoman placed the ice-cream cone shaped container on the counter to create a pile of "keep" stuff.

"Now let's see what we can do for Mom," went on the cheerful saleswoman. "After all, back to school shouldn't just be for the children. And we have some lovely new colors for fall." She lifted Usagi from the chair and set her down beside Shingo's stroller before reaching for an item from the "maybe" pile.

Quickly losing interest in the way the eyeshadow was being applied to her mama, Usagi moved to stand beside Shingo. He was sitting in his stroller singing to himself as he worked the gears and buckles on his busy board. Then he got to the fake shoe and had to stop singing so he could think about what to do with them. He frowned, then looked at Usagi.

Holding the board out to her, he shook it in her direction. "Usagi can tie, please!"

Usagi smiled widely. Yes, she could tie, and it was good that Shingo recognized how awesome she was and wanted her to show him.

"Okay, Shingo," she answered, "now watch this really close."

She got the pretend shoe laced and tied pretty quickly. Proud of herself for what had to be a new shoe-tying record, she handed the board back to Shingo.

"Do you want to play with something else now? What else did mama bring?"

She bent down, turning herself almost upside down so she could root through the basket under the seat until she found her old shapes cube. Most of the pieces were still there, so it was still a fun toy. Smiling, she started to pull it out…

And a pair of blue eyes blinked at her from the other side of the netting.

"Huh." Usagi froze in place, her lips forming a tiny "o".

The owner of those blue eyes giggled, then waved, her blonde hair brushing the ground the same way the tips of Usagi's pigtails were.

Slowly, almost completely mirroring each other, both girls stood up. From opposite sides of the stroller, they stared at each other. Usagi's lips slowly turned up into a smile. She waved, returning the other girl's gesture. Then both of them tilted their heads in curiosity. They took a step to the side, then back, then tilted their heads in the opposite direction.

A chuckle made both girls turn their heads to the man at the far end of the make-up counter.

Then her mama and the saleswoman let out sudden startled yelps as the big "maybe" pile shifted and went tumbling to the floor. Usagi's head spun just in time to see a lipstick roll under the counter and a powder compact crack open. Her mama sighed and said something about seven years of bad luck as the little shattered mirror spun, and when Usagi looked back, the other girl was gone. Standing on tiptoe, Usagi caught just a glimpse of yellow through the crowd before the girl and her father disappeared into the mall.

It had taken a long time for her mama to sign the papers at Shigeru-san's office. While her pop-pop held her in his lap on one of the big leather chairs, Ami had watched her mama sit across from Shigeru-san's desk just staring at the form in front of her. Then her mama had closed her eyes and taken a really deep breath before looking back at the page and quickly scribbling her name on all the spots Shigeru-san told her to.

Ami understood it even if her mama didn't talk about it. They were lonely now that her papa was gone. She knew that was why her mama worked more, because that made her feel it less. Just like books did for her. And signing the papers today meant he definitely wasn't ever coming back. It wasn't sad anymore, though. Just… lonely.

Pop-pop was trying to make it better, though. He laughed in that big way she liked and told tall tales that made Mama roll her eyes while she tried to pretend she wasn't smiling. When they left so Shigeru-san could finish his other work, he took them to lunch at Mama's favorite restaurant. He'd gotten Mama wine and her a fizzy drink that was pink on the bottom and clear on the top. And he got the waitress to give her extra cherries with a piece of pineapple.

Now, they were going to the park before they went home. Ami smiled around her thumb as her pop-pop got in line at the pastel colored ice-cream stand.

"Hey, Bean, why don't you go set up at one of the tables while your mom and I wait for the ice-cream?"

Ami nodded and hurried over to one of the nearby picnic tables. Perching on her knees with her dress tucked under them so they wouldn't rub against the rough bench, she pulled out her chess board. She carefully set up the pearly plastic pieces. In the background she could hear children playing on the playground. Her thumb went back into her mouth as she carefully studied the chess board. She didn't want to be over there right now, anyway. The slide was okay, but she didn't really like the jungle gym that much. Her chess board was better. You didn't have to talk much when you played, and when you did, everyone understood what you were saying.

She moved a white piece, then a black one. Two simple starting moves to counter each other. Her eyes narrowed a bit, and in her imagination she could see the possibilities. Hazy ghost pieces moved and countered until one specific path formed along the squares. She moved the next white piece, hesitated for a moment as a series of imaginary black pieces made countermoves, then lifted her fingers from the piece without adjustment.

She flipped her concentration over to the black pieces, but before plotting out their move, she looked over to the ice cream stand. Her mama and pop-pop were talking quietly, and her pop-pop tilted his head in her direction like he was asking a question. Her mama smirked and crossed her arms. Pop-pop held up his hands and laughed, and her mama relaxed before laying her head against him as he draped his arm over her shoulders.

Ami smiled and went back to her game, but a tiny high-pitched purr under the table caught her attention. She leaned over so she could see under the table, the hair not clipped by her bow falling around her face. From her upside down position, she blinked at the little red squirrel that was sitting up and staring so intently at her.

"Hello," she said, remembering belatedly she was supposed to take her thumb out of her mouth before she spoke. "Sorry," she went on after letting her hand fall. "What are you doing under here? Looking for food?"

She sat back up to search through her backpack, then leaned back down with a plastic container of grapes. Ami set the container beside her on the bench, then held one of the grapes out slowly so she wouldn't scare the little squirrel away.

The squirrel sniffed at her curiously as it inched cautiously forward. Ami held very still even as her smile grew. It sniffed all around her hand first, its whiskers tickly against her skin. Then it finally let its attention go to the grape. The squirrel snatched it quickly and backed a foot away, then began to nibble in earnest.

Ami giggled, then looked up to make sure her mama wasn't coming. They were at the order window now, so she wouldn't be much longer. She put her head back down and whispered, "I'm sure you're very nice, but my mama really doesn't like squirrels. She says you're bad luck."

Swallowing the last bit of grape and moving like it understood what she was saying, the squirrel tentatively poked its head from beneath the table to look in the direction of the ice cream stand. Immediately, it arched its back, its fur bristling.

Ami sat up startled. Before she could do anything else, though, a happy shriek broke through the air. Her head snapped over to the playground where a little girl wearing sunflowers and a red bow zoomed down the slide to be caught by her father. The red balloon tied around her wrist bobbed wildly as she was tossed in the air and set back down just as quickly. Without a care, she started running toward the ice cream stand.

And promptly tripped over her untied shoelace.

Ami stared at her wide-eyed. Then cocked an eyebrow, partly confused and partly amazed, as the girl jumped back up, still smiling and ready to start over.

Her father stopped her by snagging the back of her shirt before she could take off again. He turned her around so he could brush her off and re-tie her shoe, and in the process the ice cream stand seemed to be forgotten.

"Here you go, Bean."

Ami looked up as her pop-pop sat beside her with a cup of vanilla ice cream covered in chocolate sprinkles. She glanced down and saw the squirrel was gone, which was good because she didn't want her mama to try and kill it.

"Thank you," she answered, taking the cup and moving so he could share this side of the board with her.

"This hardly looks like a fair match-up," her mama laughed as she tried to sit down.

Tried because somehow the container of grapes had wound up on her side of the table. The unexpected feeling of the hard plastic on the bench made her jump enough that her grip on her paper milkshake cup tightened. The plastic lid popped off, taking the straw with it as the cup was crushed in her grip. Milkshake exploded up like it was coming from a volcano, the thick chocolate lava landing all over the table and the front of her mama… who was standing there frozen in place, her lips tight and face red.

Trying to save them both from the oozing mess, her pop-pop put an arm around her waist and pulled her off the bench as he stood up. "Just hold tight, Kaya. I'll go get some napkins. Deep breath, baby girl."

Her mama looked annoyed at him for that as she glared at him through her lopsided glasses. But then she did take a deep breath, letting it out in a heavy sigh. She gave the little plastic box a shove before plopping down on the bench and moving her glasses back into place. "Squirrels in the pipes," she muttered unhappily.

Ami walked around to her mama's side of the table and held out the single napkin that had been around her ice cream cup.

Her mama smiled at her and gently tucked some hair away from her face before accepting the napkin. "Thank you, sweetie." She wiped a bit of chocolate from her hand. "Maybe I'll get a new skirt and blouse when we go to get your birthday dress. Does that sound like fun?"

Ami nodded, her thumb going back in her mouth before her pop-pop came back with a big stack of brown napkins and a cup of water to help her mama clean up.

"Minako, slow down!"

The kirkri ran along at a distance behind Minako and her father, flitting around trees and shrubbery as his young charge raced along the sidewalk, the incline leaving her father winded under the burden of their shopping bags. Her red balloon bounced along with her, the string looped securely around her wrist.

Minako made it to the top of the hill, ready to speed up on the downward slope so she could beat her daddy to the crosswalk. She was several paces past the old stone steps when their presence registered. She skidded to a halt, then walked backward until she was standing and staring up at the never ending staircase and arches.

The kirkri darted up a thin sidewalk tree as Minako's father caught up to her. It perched on one of the higher branches, its eyes narrowing as it sniffed the air. Its translucent whiskers twitched as the different scents of magic drifted down from the shrine. A crow appeared overhead, joined a second later by another, and the kirkri crouched low at the subtle warning.

The loud no! that rang in its head from its mistress was unsurprising, but curiosity tugged at it. Inching further out on the branch, it gave the air another sniff, trying to lock onto one specific scent. Yes, there. Its lips pulled up into a squirrlish grin.

Jumping from the tree branch, the kirkri skirted past Minako and her father, the pop of the red balloon echoing up the stairs behind it. The contents of one of the shopping bags joined the ragged remains of the balloon on the sidewalk while the kirkri left its charge behind to follow its curiosity.

Risa stepped from her bedroom onto the porch that wrapped around the living quarters of the shrine. The late afternoon sun made her squint, and she pulled the brim of her olive green fisherman's cap down closer to her eyes. Rei had found the old thing with its peace and strawberry patches when they'd pulled out a box of mementos from her high school days. Risa had thought Rei would keep it for herself after the way the girl ran around with it on her head all day. Instead, she had set it on top of Risa's head that night at bedtime and told her she should wear it because it looked really cool.

She chuckled a bit self-consciously and told herself it wasn't because of how thin her unflattering-yet-practical bob cut had gotten during this latest cycle of chemo.

Putting those thoughts aside, she slipped into a pair of sandals she'd left at the steps and went looking for Rei. She'd only turned her back for a second to get out her daughter's dress, and when she turned back around, Rei was gone. Playing impromptu hide and seek, no doubt, because Rei's grandpa was encouraging such playful mischief to prove the point that his daughter needed more help. She wasn't ready to tell him she knew he was right.

Wandering into one of the gardens, she saw her father kneeling beside one of the colorful beds, a small basket of tools and a pile of weeds beside him. A visor kept the sun out of his eyes, though it did nothing for his bald head as he praised the blooms for their vivid color and all the butterflies they'd been attracting. When he finished his task, he sat back and noticed Risa for the first time. He smiled, though the typical worry was in his eyes. Pulling his gloves off and wiping his hands absently on the front of his pants, he stood and moved to the garden bench, patting the seat beside him.

"Did you get enough rest, sweetheart? You look tired."

Risa walked over to her father but didn't sit. One corner of her mouth quirked up as her arms crossed over the loose t-shirt she had tucked into her long skirt. "I look tired because I have a feral, half naked child who won't hold still long enough to have her picture taken."

Her father's frown was instant.

With a small sigh, Risa said, "Go ahead, Dad. You can say it."

There was a slight beat of hesitation, then, "Asuga shouldn't be sending a photographer out here. It isn't appropriate."

"I told him he could," returned Risa patiently. She sat beside her father and laid a hand over his where it rested on the bench. "And Rei has grown so much since her birthday, I want a new set of pictures. So Asuga and I both get something out of this. Besides, it's all just part of…"

"Part of the job, yes, yes," picked up her father, waving his gloves with his free hand. "And you're an adult who knew what she was getting into when she married him. But I still don't like it. Not right now."

Risa put her arms around his shoulders and pulled him in close, giving him a kiss on the top of his head. "I love you."

He relented to her as he always did, his ire at her husband temporarily melting away, and gave her arm a gentle pat. For that he got a giggle and a tighter hug.

The moment was broken by her mother's voice as it carried from the courtyard, the hearts practically dancing atop the singsong sound. "Risa, honey! There is the loveliest young man here to see you! And my goodness he is so much better equipped to carry his gear than the last one!"

Risa cringed as she pictured her mother clinging to the poor photographer's arm while trying to see if the label on his jeans was name brand, the young man caught completely off-guard by the four and a half foot, silver-haired firecracker he'd stepped in front of. She cringed even harder at the way her father's eyebrow rose in interest, his concern for her stress levels now completely gone.

Entirely distracted by the new arrival, neither she nor her father saw the kirkri at the edge of the garden as it softly hissed before scampering off after the thing it found most interesting.

Rei smiled widely, very pleased with her stealth ability as she crept around the corner of the charm booth. She crouched low, the lacy hem of her slip dragging in the dirt, her bare feet silent against the ground. The girl working in the booth had turned away, and Rei seized her chance, scurrying up onto the stone foundation then onto the wooden wraparound before pressing her back close to the wall under the window shelf.

Above her, she heard the girl turn back to the window and say, "Hmmm, did I hear something? Must be a little mouse. Nothing to worry about."

Rei put a hand to her mouth so her laugh wouldn't get out. Yeah, she was really good at this, just like Grandpa said.

Scooting along the wall, not caring how the wood was pulling piles in the thin material of her slip, Rei moved until she was on the opposite side of the booth. She slid down the wraparound to the open space between the decking and the steps, then ducked inside. This was her favorite hiding space because she could see a lot of the things going on while no one else could see her.

There wasn't much going on this afternoon except for the man coming to take her picture. She watched through the spaces in the boards as her grandma played at posing for him. Her grandpa said something that made her grandma laugh and blush, then her grandpa grabbed her grandma around the waist and dipped her back like they were old-time dancing. Her mom put her hand over her eyes and shook her head while the photographer blushed even redder than her grandma had.

Then her mom told them all to go inside while she looked for Rei.

Yes! That was what she'd been waiting for!

Rei sat back and pulled her knees up to her chest. This was the part she didn't like, where she had to wait for someone to find her. She curled her toes against the roughness of the ground in different patterns, then rocked back and forth a bit. She sat up to look back out between the boards, but didn't see anyone this time, though she did see her birds' shadows circling and hoped they wouldn't give away her spot. She sat back down and started picking at the little white bow on the front of the slip. Why was this even here anyway? It's not like anyone could see it when she was dressed.

She tapped her feet, let out a yawn.

A tiny, high pitched yawn answered her back.

"Huh?"

Rei looked around, finally spotting the faintly glowing eyes as they eased closer to her from the darkness. She squinted, heard the faintest little chitter of curiosity as whatever it was stopped moving. Curious herself, she leaned forward on her hands and knees to inch a bit closer.

Whatever it was, it had a funny feeling to it.

"Hey there," she whispered, squinting her eyes and just barely able to make out the small body that was low to the ground. "You're new here, aren't you? Are you friends with my birds?"

The creature braced, a bit of golden static running along its fur as it did.

Surprised, Rei paused, and for a moment they both were still, just staring at each other. Then Rei held out one small hand.

Its curiosity revived, the little creature moved slowly forward, sniffing the air as it did. Translucent whiskers reflected the pale yellow glow of its eyes and felt prickly against Rei's fingers when it got close enough for her to touch. Its head tilted from side to side, examining the small hand in front of it. Gingerly, it stuck out its tongue, making Rei giggle at the sandpapery feeling over her fingertips.

Rei turned her hand slowly until her fingers could scritch under the little creature's chin. She could see its body better now. It was kind of like a squirrel, but its face was too long for it to really be one. And she didn't think squirrels purred like this when you pet their heads, but she'd never petted one before so she wasn't sure. Its fur was soft, though, as its head nuzzled into her palm. It rolled happily onto its back, pulling her hand with it and holding it in its tiny talons as it started licking her fingers. She laughed as its teeny little teeth started gnawing on her fingertips, the sharpness noticeable but the actual bite soft so it wouldn't break skin.

Her laugh turned into a yawn, then a bigger yawn as the creature pulled her hand in closer. Around the edges of her vision, Rei started to see color wrap around them. A misty red flowed around her arm and down to the creature, blending with and then disappearing into its staticy golden glow. Her head started to feel swimmy, and her free hand wiped at her sleepy eyes. She was suddenly so tired. Maybe she could take a nap? That would be a good way to wait for her mom to find her.

Rei let her eyes close as she laid down, sound asleep before her head fully touched the ground.

"Rei!" called Risa as she walked slowly through the grounds, though she felt like she was fighting with a flock of crows to be heard. Something had stirred a few of them up, and she watched one begin to divebomb its tormentor somewhere behind the charm booth.

That was when the young woman waving from the window caught her attention, and she smiled widely in thanks as the woman pointed down by the booth stairs. Drifting over, she stood by the stairs with her back to the corner Rei had crawled in through.

"My goodness, Rei is such a good hider," she said, trying to sound like she didn't know where Rei could possibly be but unable to keep the mirth from her voice. "I don't think I'll ever find her."

When the child didn't jump out victorious or make any noise at all, Risa frowned. She leaned down and peeked under the stairs. She could see Rei curled up, her breathing easy and her face relaxed. And too far under the wraparound for her to reach.

Looking around, she saw a broom leaning against the side of the charm booth. Grabbing it, she used it to poke at Rei's dirty foot. Rei let out an unhappy sound and curled up even more. With a sigh, Risa gave her a slightly harder poke in her side.

That got Rei's attention. A scowl on her face, she rubbed at her eyes as she slowly sat up. "Mom?"

"Come on, honey," coaxed Risa. "Time to stop playing. I can't crawl in there to get you and we need to get you ready for pictures."

Rei nodded and crawled out, still rubbing at her eyes because of how bright the sun felt. She stood still while her mother knelt in front of her and dusted her off. As a cobweb was being pulled from her hair, she held her hand up in front of her and studied it, turning it from side to side.

Concerned, Risa asked, "Did you hurt your hand?" She took it gently in hers to examine it, running her fingers lightly over the lines on Rei's palm and the tiny divots of her knuckles.

Rei thought for a moment, then shook her head. "No. My head is just still tired, and I think it made me think of my dream."

Risa kissed Rei's knuckles, then stood, still holding onto the girl's hand as they started to walk back towards her room. "What were you dreaming about?"

With a small frown, Rei answered, "I don't remember."

"That's okay. If you remember, you can tell me about it later." She swung their hands back and forth, then added, "But no more hide and seek today no matter what your grandpa suggests. I'd like a quiet evening tonight. Understand?"

"Yes, ma'am," Rei answered. She glanced back behind them one more time, her head still feeling kind of like a fuzzy lint ball. Dreams did that sometimes though. Grandma said you needed sleep to fix a fuzzy head. So Rei decided she would sleep with her mom tonight, and then maybe she'd have her dream again. Because she really did want to remember it.

Stretched out on its back in a cloud of contentment, the kirkri purred softly. Its belly was bloated and full, its energy the brightest it had been in eons. Eyes closed, it ignored the impatient tapping of its mistress' foot beside its head. Instead, it flexed its talons in absolute delight as a bit of glittery static danced over its fur.

"Urrrggh!"

Alandra threw up her hands and stomped away from her familiar, kicking up stardust with each angry step. When she stopped, she waved her hand in its direction. A gold cage appeared around it, a purple quilted cushion replacing the ephemeral cloud it had been laying on. A gem encrusted bowl of water was the only thing she allowed her disobedient pet. It would have to go without its toys for now.

The kirkri cracked an eye open, but otherwise didn't move.

"Why must you be so stubbornly disobedient?" yelled the little goddess at her nonplussed kirkri. "And why do you always want energy from the ones you can't have? You know I don't care if you take a bit now and then, but not when it will get us into trouble. And the Martians are always trouble!"

She shook her head and turned her back to her pet. "Well, you'll just stay in your cage for a bit. And don't cry to me about being bored. It will be the consequences for your actions today."

The kirkri rolled from its pillow and sat up on its hind legs, cooing mournfully at her.

Alandra ignored her pet and turned back to the corkboard. She crossed her arms and stared at the new pictures that popped onto its surface - one for each of the Guardians and the people orbiting them. "So the princess has awakened? But without her familiar? Though Venus doesn't have hers, either. And the Silver Crystal still sleeps? That doesn't make any sense. Jupiter, Mercury, Mars… Where are the others? And why did my aunt give Mars to one of the Great Demons? That makes even less sense. There's so many of them here, though. Even the muddled Mercurian."

The little goddess frowned and looked over her shoulder at her caged kirkri. "You didn't see the Time Guardian with her, either, did you?"

The kirkri shook its head, then shrugged.

Alandra frowned even harder. "And after everything we went through to put them in each other's path. How ungrateful." Then her frown turned into a mischievous grin. "You did well with that one. Perhaps I won't leave you caged quite so long."

The kirkri trilled, proud of itself.

Turning back to her corkboard, Alandra let out a sigh. "Well, my little priestess will just have to find her own friends this time, as I'm afraid we won't be able to fulfill her request." She held up a finger and started drawing Xs in the air, each motion translating to a red X over the pictures of the young Guardians. "None of them will do. Especially them."

She frowned hard at the pictures of the young Mars Guardian and the people in her orbit, formed her hand into a fist, and stamped 'no' signs over each red X for extra emphasis.

"And you," she went on, looking back at her kirkri, "are to stay away from that shrine."

The kirkri closed its eyes and fell back onto its cushion, pretending not to hear Alandra's ire.