Motherly Tsukishiro

"Sou are you in here?!" Cried a young pink haired woman as she pulled open the doors to the 141 shop, receiving no answer she turned and ran over to the noodle shop, "baby are you here?!" she asked leaning over the noodle man's counter, seeing no trace of the young glutton she turned again and ran, kicking in Turbo's door, "Sweetie Mods aren't food!" she cried, yet again seeing no child, she turned and ran over to where a shark Thiren girl was on the phone, she pushed away the shark and called into the receiver, "Sweetheart is that you? are you lost baby? tell me where you are!"

"Ellen? is that still you? you sound diff-" but Tsukishiro Yanagi dropped the receiver and turned, only to be grabbed by the Thiren who somehow kept hold of her.

Ellen grabbed the receiver, "Hold for a sec" she said, then dropped it and turned to the woman, "problem?"

Yanagi grabbed Ellen's shoulders, "Miss my baby is missing! she's so small and lost and missing and I have to find her, and I have to find her now!" she said shaking the Shark Thiren.

Ellen sighed, she didn't have the energy for this, fortunately she knew someone who did, she turned the woman and pointed down the street, "Between the mod shop and noodle shop there's a video store, they'll help you." she said, and as soon as she let her go the woman vanished almost becoming lightning as she broke into the shop,

"MY BABY!" she cried, hoping that someone would understand her.

A very familiar young girl turned to her, Soukaku was sat on a stool with a bag of sweets in her hand kicking her feet, "Oh hey Yani," she said with a big grin, "hey Mr you don't need to look anymore, my mo- uh frend is hare now." she said tapping her nose and gigging.

The man tapped his nose too, almost sharing a joke between one another, and Tsukishiro dove at Soukaku, "Oh sweetie I turned for a second and when I looked back you were gone I was so worried." she said wrapping her arms around the girl, holding her tightly.

"Sorry Yani, I got deestractid by this tv I saw in the wondow, and I came over and thought I was holding your hand, but then I realised I wasn't-" she said looking at the floor.

The kind young man behind the counter smiled, "She was so brave she didn't cry at all when she lost you," he said winking at her.

"Didn't you?" she asked.

"N-" Soukaku frowned, "well... maybe a little," she said, "but he gived me some candy and told me he'd help me look for you as soon as his sister got back."

"Sorry this would've been over a lot sooner if our shop Bangboo weren't uh..." he gave a glance to Soukaku, "mysteriously frozen."

"I'm so sorry," Tsukishiro said, "if I'd just kept a closer eye on her, she must've eaten you out of house and home by now."

The young man chuckled, "Please it's just some candy... and a few sandwiches, some popcorn, few ice poles... nothing serious."

"Would you believe that's her on a good day?" Yanagi asked with a chuckle, then she realised Soukaku was still sat on her little stool, "my word, however did you get her to stay in one place for so long?"

"I give thanks to the Starlight Knights" Wise said pointing to the screen, it had a colourful tv show on it Yanagi had never seen, "usually it only shows ads, but I put a tape inside for her."

"All for one girl? surely you had more customers right?"

"He did, and I helped with them" Soukaku said proudly.

"She did, she helped me fetch films from the back, she's such a big girl." he said causing the girl to blush and beam at the praise.

"You... you're amazing manager" Tsukishiro said, "why you've calmed my trouble child, and had her helping? you must be great with kids."

"I grew up watching over my sister, your da- er friend reminds me a lot of her," he said, then noticing that Soukaku's eyes were still drawn to the tv screen, "if you want miss you can rent that video to go back with you?"

"Can we?" Soukaku asked.

Yanagi sighed, "I shouldn't after you ran off," she said, "but alright," she walked over to the counter, "how much for the tape?" she asked.

Wise gave her a price and she handed him much more then he'd said, "Miss I think you-"

"It's for watching her, I know children can be difficult to deal with, and you went out of your way to care for her, think of it as pay for that."

The man sighed, "Alright, though I still think you payed me too much." his kind smile was burned into her mind as she took the tape and Soukaku's hand, tightly this time and led her out of the store.

A few days later Yanagi and Soukaku were all dressed up at a resturant, Yanagi had her head in her hands, Soukaku frowned, "I'm sorry" she said.

"Don't apologise sweetie, it's not your fault."

"It is thogh" Soukaku said, "I asked around, why your dates always leave eerly and they said it's cause you can't find anyone to watch me," she said, "I'm sorry I'm trouble" she said, then got up and started running.

"Baby?!" Yanagi cried as she got up and started to chase after her but a waiter stood in her way,

"Ma'am you have to pa-" was all he could say as she slugged him as she ran by, trying to keep in pursuit of her crying baby, she looked around Lumina square, unsure of where she'd go, she looked at the park, no Soukaku, around officer MewMew, no Soukaku, the food stores, no Soukaku, she was about to start crying herself when she heard faint sobs, and followed them to the parking lot,

Yanagi would've rushed over to her, but froze, Soukaku was on a bench curled up sobbing her eyes out, "I do ruin things" she said, "Mommy can't get a date cause she keeps me, and I'm a burden!" she said.

On his knee in front of her was the same kind man from before, "That's not true Soukaku," he said, "if anything you keep bad people away from your mom,"

"B-bad people?" Soukaku asked sniffling.

"Your mom is really attractive, nice, and kind isn't she?" he asked, and the horned girl nodded.

"And intelli- uh inteeller- smart!" she said nodding.

"Smart too, so of course people want to date her, but your mom doesn't just want anyone, she needs someone who also can love her, and help with you,"

"But I'm-"

"You're not a burden Soukaku," he said, "who said you were?"

"O-one of mommy's dates," she said, looking away, "mommy needed the bathroom so she went, she asked if I wanted to go, but I said no, and when she was gone he leanered over and said Mommy would be better off without me, and I should stop being with her and he'd consider dating her," she sniffed, "they got on really well too."

"That's what you think," he said then sighed, "you remember I said I had to raise my sister?" Soukaku looked up and nodded, "well I used to have this friend, I really liked her too, but one day my sister came to me crying, my friend had been bullying her for a while, I got so mad I told her I never wanted to see her again, and I think I even slapped her."

"Y-you did?" Soukaku asked, the man nodded.

"Alright you seem better now, you want to find your mom?"

Soukaku nodded meekly, "Okay, but you're sure I'm not a burden, cause... I always eat too much, and I run off sometimes, and I-"

But the man shushed her, "Soukaku you might do that stuff, but one thing you're not in your moms eyes is a burden, and you never will be." he said pulling a tissue out of his pocket and drying her eyes, then he put it to her nose, "blow." she did and he tossed it away, "alright let's g-" Soukaku took his hand,

"So we don't get sep-ar-eated," she said, holding on tightly, maybe a little too tightly with how the man cringed, but he didn't say anything, of course then Soukaku looked up, "M-mommy!" she called, "I mean-"

Yanagi went down to a knee, her arms wide open, "Mommy's fine" she said, and Soukaku ran over wrapping her arms around her, she looked up at Wise, "that's twice that you've rescued my Soukaku," she said standing up, "I only wish I could repay you Mr..."

"Wise," he said, "you're Tsukishiro Yanagi right? of section 6?"

She bent her legs slightly, giving a small curtsey, "Charmed~" she said.

"Hey mommy," Soukaku said, "I have an idea for how to rewerd Mr Wise."

"Oh?" the woman asked, "do you?"

Soukaku nodded, "Why don't you date him?"

Wise blushed, "Wh-what?" he asked, "N-no I was just-" but her froze as the woman turned to him.

"See Soukaku you must be my daughter," she said, "I was thinking of something...similar." she said running her tongue over her lips, causing Wise to swallow nervously, "come Mr Wise," she said walking over to him, she leaned in close, "you can call me mommy too" she purred into his ear, then she backed away, "well let's go then, I do still have a reservation" she said walking towards the restaurant, Wise following along.