"…se…"

Ugh. So loud…

"…ke u…."

Who's…who's calling. Don't they know what time it is?

"Wake up!"

I opened my eyes blearily to be met by two bright blue ones. Attached to a round, childish face.

I blinked, then rolled over, grumbling. My brain was still stubbornly set to "Sleep", it seemed. I was never a morning person. The pitter patter of little feet told me the cruel opponent to my beloved rest had pursued me and I felt little hands shaking my shoulder. My foe was determined.

Finally, I gave up, as I always did, sleep no match for my eight year old niece.

I opened my eyes, blinking and rubbing at one of them as I used the other to stare at the grinning face of my rest time's archenemy.

Ruri Kousaka.

She stood, hands behind her back as she swayed back and forth, her little black ponytail following the motion. She was dressed in a pair of pajamas covered in little, sparkly magical girls. She hummed impatiently as I stared at her, smiling lazily.

"Ne…it's so early. The sun's barely up."

"I know, I know. But today's the day!"

Oh…right. I really wasn't a morning person, if I'd forgotten what today was. I felt my energy slowly returning as I sat up, yawning as I stretched, feeling the stiffness recede. I swear, I was only thirty-nine but I could feel age creeping up on me already. Not that I would ever admit it.

"Ah, you're right. Gomen…what do you want for breakfast?"

"Let's go with pancakes and strawberry jam! Oh, and eggs! And sausages and-"

"Alright, alright." I laughed, reaching over and ruffling the girl's head, eliciting an embarrassed whine. "Don't get too greedy now. Go and pull out the ingredients. I'll be down in a minute."

With a nod, the girl dashed out, her footsteps echoing down the hall. I swung my feet up and over the side of the bed, standing with another yawn as I stretched further. Was that a pop I just heard? Ugh.

I left the room, heading down the hall way to see everything I needed already laid out on the counter, with Ruri sitting at the bar, swinging her legs back and forth. She was tapping away at a tablet computer, her face screwed up in concentration.

How did she…Oh. She had probably already taken these things out in advance before she'd come and woken me. The excitement of children, heh. It almost made me feel nostalgic, but I fought back the feeling. I wasn't that old!

I walked inside, ruffling her hair again and getting a pout for my troubles as I disrupted her concentration. She looked like she was playing Street Fighter. Or whatever the equivalent was, these days. I'd never really understood her passion for fighting games, but I let her be. I'd come far since my middle school days.

As I started preparing breakfast, I saw Ruri put down the tablet, her face screwed up angrily.

I guess she'd lost a match?

"Ruri-chan, did you lose?" I asked, trying to empathize a bit.

"No. I won. But I didn't get that many style points, and that person was a noob anyway, so it was pretty much a waste of time…" she whined, thumping her head down on the counter.

I blinked, trying to understand. She'd won, right? What was the issue?

I almost asked her, but refrained. I'm sure I'd get some passionate, overly technical account that I'd be unable to follow. And Ruri would only answer my confusion with more terms I couldn't understand to try and explain while I nodded along. It was a familiar vicious circle.

"Well, um…eggs are done! Why don't you pop in the toast?"

Ruri perked up, eager to assist. Even if it was just toast, she loved helping me in the kitchen. I think she felt like it made her a cook. I didn't have the heart to tell her differently. In fact, I should probably start teaching her a few things. I'd started learning my way around the kitchen when I was around her age.

I served up the pancakes, which were just the right shade of golden brown, and slid them onto our plates, followed by the sausages. I didn't often make Western style breakfasts, but Ruri really had a thing for them. I could see why, they were pretty delicious, but so fattening! Even when I was younger, I used to watch what I ate.

I looked jealously at my niece, who was staring at the toaster as if that would make it go faster. She could eat whatever she wanted and never put on a pound. And if she was anything like her mother then that wouldn't change as she got older.

"What's wrong, Oba-chan?"

I looked away, putting my nose up in the air.

"Oba-channnnn. Stop being mad at me!"

"Then stop being so skinny!"

"Eh?"

Ruri tilted her head questioningly and I sighed, shaking my head.

"It's nothing, Ruri-chan. Your auntie's just being silly."

With a ding, the bread popped up and Ruri reached out eagerly. I scolded her, causing her to retract her hands. I didn't need her burning her hands on the toaster. Again.

With that final addition, our plates were complete and Ruri took them up, placing them on the table on the other side of the bar.

"Another delicious meal by Kousaka Ruri!" she shouted triumphantly. I shook my head, getting the carton of tea out of the fridge. Orange juice would fit the theme better, but Ruri wasn't satisfied unless she had at least one cup of barley tea before breakfast was out. I rolled my eyes, sarcastically wondering where she'd gotten that from.

Kyousuke…

The thought wasn't as painful as it had been. I'd had years to get used to it. Thinking about Onii-san didn't hurt anymore. Not as much, anyway.

I set the carton down on the table, taking my seat with exaggerated slowness as my niece watched, clearly eager to start but polite enough to wait.

"Itadakimasu." we both said, bowing our heads briefly, before digging in. I admonished Ruri for her manners as she devoured what was in front of her. I'd never understood why she ate so quickly. She'd tried to explain it to me once. In a very serious voice, she'd told me 'A real man cleans his plate quickly, so he can get back to fighting the good fight.'

It would've almost seemed like a cool line of reasoning, for an eight year old, if I wasn't ninety nine percent sure she'd just stolen that line from some shōnen anime. I mean, come on, "a real man?" Who was she kidding?!

As she finished her food, sitting back and patting her belly with a contented sigh, I had just started in on my eggs. She eyed me, watching the way I carefully ate each bite, back straight. I knew she was jealous of how proper I made eating look. Especially because she didn't have the patience to try and imitate me.

I finished my eggs, and half of my sausages before standing. Her eyes followed me as I took the plate to the kitchen.

"Ah, that was so good but I can't eat another bite. I guess I'll just toss the rest…"

To her credit, Ruri let me make it all the way to the fridge before running over and glomping onto one of my legs.

"Chii….." she hummed, almost threateningly. I looked down at the little clinger I'd picked up with mock innocence.

"Oh, did you want them Ruri-chan? All you had to do was ask, you know?"

"It's not that." She said moodily. "Good food just shouldn't be wasted is all. And since there's no one else around, it's up to me to fulfill our duty to the world."

I looked at the plate, which held the two last sausage links I'd prepared. I hummed, thoughtfully.

"Well, if it's that important that we don't waste them, I suppose I can afford to eat a little bit more…"

"No!"

Gotcha. Little Pakku-chan. You're ten years too early to fool me. I've had more than enough experience dealing with your mother to be fooled by such blatant tsundere behavior!

I handed the plate over, done messing with my cute, little niece who frowned at me before taking the plate. I blinked and found the plate back in my hands, empty, my niece smiling at me cheekily. I still didn't know how her face wasn't covered in crumbs and grease from the way she ate. It was practically magic.

Ruri helped me tidy the kitchen, drying the dishes after I washed them and putting them away. As we worked, I looked down at her as she grinned, a little fang peeking out from under her lip as she dried with enthusiasm. Everything she did, she always put in one hundred and twenty percent. I was in awe of her, sometimes. It brought back lots of memories.

"Stop it oba-chan!"

I blinked, looking down at the cutest frowning face I'd ever seen.

"You're not allowed to be sad. Not right now! We agreed."

We did, didn't we Ruri-chan?

I forced a smile on my face and I rubbed my hand in her hair.

"Oba-chan! Stop it, you're getting soap in my hair!"

"You're the one who told me I couldn't be sad anymore, so I need to do something that cheers me up. Take responsibility!"

She bore my soapy hair ruffle silently, glaring up at me with a look that practically promised death.

"Chii…"

With a laugh, I sent her off to go wash up while I finished off the dishes. I reminded her to dress up properly, and that I'd bought her a nice hat that she could use today. Ruri's fashion sense often left much to be desired, which baffled me. I'd spent so long trying to teach her how to accessorize and coordinate clothing yet she'd still find a way to look utterly ridiculous when she was ready, even after all this time.

I left the kitchen, drying my hands as I went to go and get ready myself. Twenty minutes later, I was outside Ruri's door, knocking softly. I'd gone with a simple blouse, sweater and skirt ensemble, the black clothing contrasting nicely against my skin.

"Ruri-chan, hurry up, We're going to be late!"

"Coming, coming! You sound just like my school teachers oba-chan! It's not a good look." She said through the door. I rolled my eyes, huffing. It was a mystery why this girl took so long to get ready. You'd never guess, based on the way she usually tried to leave the house.

The door opened, and I looked down at the wide brim of a straw hat.

I took a step back, and smiled. It seems even my niece could look good for a special occasion.

She'd chosen a white sundress that almost fell to her knees. It flowed and swished around her legs as she came out, closing the door behind her. She looked up at me and I saw she'd even applied some makeup. Nothing too fancy, but I spotted a few dabs of blush and some eyeliner that made her bright blue eyes pop. She'd released her long, black hair down from its usual ponytail and the cascade of hair reached her mid back, shiny from some product I was almost sure she'd swiped from my bathroom.

"So, Oba-chan, how do I look?" she grinned, holding the sides of her straw hat and twirling, the hem of her dress dancing in the wake of her spin.

I smiled.

"You look beautiful, Ruri-chan. Let's get going."

It wasn't until we were in the car, on the way to our destination, that Ruri turned to me. She had a familiar look in her eyes. One I'd seen before, many times.

"Oba-chan…can you tell me the story?"

I hummed, pretending to pay extra attention to the road. I knew exactly what story she meant, but I needed a second.

"What story would that be?"

"You know, THE story…" she looked away, staring out of the window. Even with me, she wasn't always the best at showing vulnerability. My own little tsun-tsun.

"Ah, that story. I guess I could. Where should I start from?"

"Well…" she tapped her legs, running her hand over the hem of her dress.

"How about from where Kaa-san and Tou-san had broken up, back when they were kids?"

I nodded, braking as we got to a red light.

"Ah, that part. Alright then. Well, your parents loved each other very much. They'd even gotten engaged, but decided to break up because they couldn't be together. Not anymore."

"Why?" Ruri asked, as if she'd never heard the story before. She always asked that at this part. I guess she liked hearing it the way she'd heard it the first time.

"Well, you see. Their parents would've been furious with them, if they found out that they were even dating, let alone engaged. There's no telling how your grandfather would've reacted, and they knew they were playing with fire the longer they stayed together. So they decided to be sensible about things, and break up. I still remember how your mother cried the night afterwards. She called me in tears, something that totally shocked me at the time."

I smiled, feeling a familiar burn in my eyes. But I couldn't let my tears fall, not yet. It wasn't time.

"She was always so headstrong and brave. I wasn't prepared for her breaking down like that. Especially because she refused to tell me why, at least at first. Your mother was pretty stubborn when she was ready."

I hit my turn signal, bypassing another car as I took the right lane, preparing to turn off of the highway.

"So your parents stayed apart and they were both miserable. All of us, that is, your parents' close friends, tried to talk to them and get them out of their funk but nothing worked. They were just unhappy. And I felt so useless, because I didn't know what I could do to help either of them. The one thing that could fix them is the one thing I refused to even suggest."

Ruri looked over at me.

"What would've fixed them? And why didn't you want to suggest it, oba-chan?"

I smiled a bit sadly, thinking back to how I used to be, all those years ago.

"Why, them being together of course. And I didn't suggest it because…I couldn't. I was being close minded and protective. And a little bit selfish. I didn't think them being together was a good idea. For anyone involved. So all I could do was support them in every way except the way it mattered."

We'd finally arrived and I pulled into a parking spot, near to the staircase we would need. I climbed out of the car, grabbing the small box I'd placed there out of the back seat. Ruri exited out of her side, holding her own little box. I locked the car behind us before setting off, my niece on my heels.

"So, they both kept on being miserable. For a while. But eventually, like he always did, your father took it upon himself to fix everything. 'Leave it to me' he used to say."

We shared a laugh at the familiar phrase.

"He moved out and started working straight out of high school. He got a job with one of his classmates at a newspaper, writing an advice column. I honestly never saw him as much of a writer, that was more your mother's thing, but he took to it with a determination I'd never seen him have before. Soon he was promoted, and then promoted again. Before he'd been there a year, he was already one of their best reporters. And, once your mother graduated high school, he told her 'Move in with me'."

"Just like that?" Ruri asked excitedly, bouncing next to me as we continued up the stairs.

"Yup, just like that. Your mother was accepted to college, and the school was closer to your father's new place, so he convinced your grandparents to let him watch over her. It took some doing, but your father had really grown and they could see that he would do what he needed to protect your mother. They trusted him. Of course, your mother didn't turn him down, but she also couldn't just come out and say yes. She was difficult that way. But sure enough, a few weeks later, she moved in."

We'd finally reached the top of the stairs. I stopped to catch my breath, panting. I swear, that climb was getting longer and longer, somehow. There hadn't been any renovations in years, so I knew that wasn't true, but that didn't stop me from feeling like someone added on extra steps after every visit. Of course, Ruri was unaffected, but she waited for me, humming and looking inside of her box, shuffling the contents around.

After I caught my breath, we started walking again and I picked the story back up.

"So, after your mother moved in, it didn't take very long at all for them to start 'seeing' each other again."

I couldn't keep all of the admonition out of my tone. Ruri wasn't stupid, but she knew that asking me why I felt that way would get her nowhere. I'd already promised to explain it to her when she was sixteen and not a day earlier. Would I have the courage to, even then? I hope so.

"So they were back together, and happier than ever. Your mother was working towards her degree, your father was climbing the ranks at the paper. And they were happy. They eventually told your grandparents about their relationship, but only after your mother had graduated and they were fully independent. Your grandparents were…not happy, to say the least. But they eventually grew to accept it. In time. Not happily, mind you, but they accepted it."

I looked around. I loved walking this path. It's why I always parked where I did, even though it meant dealing with those stairs and more walking. When the cherry blossom trees were in bloom, there wasn't a prettier path to walk down. The pink petals swirled around us, blowing to and fro in the wind. Like our own personal blizzard. It was breath taking.

"Oba-chan….focus! Don't break off mid story!"

"Ah, sorry Ruri chan. So your parents were together and they were happy for the first time in a long time. Your mother graduated college and got a job working at the same newspaper as your dad, although in a separate department. They moved into a nicer place, a proper house, after a few years, around the time your mother was twenty two. They were…happy. Happy enough that they started living openly."

"What do you mean openly, oba-chan?" queried Ruri, grinning up at me impetuously.

I rolled my eyes. Even though she knew just what I meant, she seemed to get a kick out of me saying it.

"As a couple. Before, your mother and father lived together for years, but not openly as a couple. They moved in together while broken up, back when your mother was just starting college, but when they got back together, they kept it a secret from most of us. I didn't find out until two years in. And boy, I was mad when I found out."

"But weren't you happy for them oba-chan?"

"I…It was complicated Ruri-chan. I loved your parents, both of them, and I wanted them both to be happy. But…I loved your father. In a different way than I loved your mother, you understand. And he loved me too! And I thought…I knew your father loved your mother more than he ever loved me. But…"

I bit my lip. This part of the story never got easier to tell, as I looked back at the person I used to be.

"I thought that they couldn't be together. That they shouldn't be together. And some part of me hoped that your father would pick me. Even after so much time had passed. But he didn't. He picked your mother, like he always did."

"I'm sorry daddy didn't pick you, oba-chan."

And she meant it too. Heh. What should've been a ridiculous statement only managed to sound too sweet coming from this girl. She really was something else.

"So yea, I wasn't happy. And your mother and I didn't speak for a while. But we got over it, eventually, and I grew closer to who I am today. The person that could support your parents and be a friend. To both of them. We were all moving on in our lives, but we remained close. Your parents weren't married, but they may as well have been. I was pursuing my own career, but I was happy being single. Life was good. And then things took a turn."

I paused in my steps, looking up at the sky, thinking back to that day.

"Your mother got pregnant. With you, Ruri-chan. And that's when everything changed."

"Because I was a mistake, right? Because they didn't plan to have me…"

Her voice still sounded as sad as it did the first time I'd explained all of this to her, so long ago. I put my arm around her, hugging her to me as we continued down the stone path.

"I will never lie to you Ruri-chan. No, you weren't planned. But you were never a mistake. Never. Do you understand me?"

Ruri-chan nodded, smiling up at me gratefully. I often wondered if I should have avoided burdening such a young girl with something so…complicated. But I refused to filter things for her. Her parents were complicated people and I would tell her it like it was, for better or worse, and let her come to her own conclusions. I knew firsthand how harmful it was when other people forced you to view the world through their own narrow lenses.

"When your mother was pregnant with you, they were very concerned. As you know, with you, there was more risk involved than with the average baby. They kept two separate OBGYN's and got a second and third opinion on almost everything. They exhausted themselves making sure that you were going to be healthy and okay. They'd fallen in love with you from the first time they knew you were real. And they would do everything they could to make sure you were safe."

I smiled softly down at her, at this perfect little girl.

"I still remember the day you were born. I was in the waiting room at the hospital with your father and a few of our friends. He was pacing frantically, driving all of us insane. He kept muttering to himself and checking his watch. And then checking the clock on the wall to see if his watch was right. It was maddening."

Ruri giggled, clutching the box she carried to her chest. She always thought the ways I described Kyousuke were funny.

"Finally, the nurse came out and told him he could come in. I've never seen him move so fast. We waited, chatting quietly in the waiting room for a few minutes before the nurse came back out again, and let us know that your parents wanted us to come inside."

I fought back the feelings inside of me. I couldn't cry. I wouldn't.

"Your face was all scrunched up and red, and you had this patchy mess of black hair on your head. Plus you never wanted to open your eyes. You were such an ugly little baby, to be quite honest, but none of us could tell your mother that. She was smitten with you, and to her, you were the cutest thing she'd ever seen. "

We'd come to the end of the cherry blossom path. We were almost there.

"I wish I'd taken pictures of them in that delivery room. The way they stared at you. The way your dad looked when he first held you, as if you were made of glass. The way your mom looked when she nursed you for the first time. I'd thought that the love they shared for each other was the greatest love I'd ever seen between two people. But I realized that it came in a very close second to how much they loved you."

I slowed my pace. I didn't want to rush this part. I couldn't afford to not finish this part of the story before we reached our ultimate destination. Ruri obliged my slower shuffle, eagerly hanging on every word of the familiar tale.

"They took you home after a few days of observations. They'd both taken some time off of work and, after a few weeks and way too many nanny interviews, your mother decided to leave work to take care of you. She claimed she couldn't trust anyone else with your care, not even for a second. I'm sure she was telling the truth, but I also felt like she wasn't ready to leave you either. I think she needed you just as much as you needed her."

I felt the traitorous tears form up in my eyes and I blinked, hard. I wiped at my eyes with one hand, determined. Ruri and I had a deal, and I didn't lie. Not to her. Never to her. I couldn't be sad yet.

"The first time I babysat you, you were…three months? Maybe a little older. Your mother spent over three hours running me through every little thing I would need to watch you. Your feeding schedule, changing schedule, sleep schedules. What numbers I could reach them at. What brand of baby powder I would need to buy, in case it miraculously ran out while I was watching you."

I shook my head, still bemused at my old friend's zealousness. She certainly did nothing halfway, even things she hadn't planned for.

"You were so precious. And small. I remember just looking at you as you laid in your crib and wondering what you would be like when you grew up. What would you be like when you were three, or five or fifteen? How would the kids treat you at school when the news inevitably made it there? How would you feel when you realized exactly what your parents were?"

I reached down, grasping blindly for her hand. I felt her put her small hand in mine and I held it, gently squeezing those little fingers. They squeezed back.

"I was scared. So scared. I looked at you, at this perfect little girl and I was so scared about the future. I was scared you would be bullied or picked on when people realized who your parents were. I was scared you would grow up and be disgusted by the two people that loved you more than they loved anyone else in the world, even each other. I was scared you'd break my best friends' hearts. That you would hate them for having you. Or even hate yourself."

I felt Ruri's hand tremble and I held it even tighter. She was probably the toughest little girl I'd ever met, but I knew hearing me like this always got to her. I couldn't blame her, not one bit.

"But I looked at you in that crib. And I saw you giving me this look. I know you were too small to really understand what was going on or why I was crying. But I swear, Ruri-chan, you looked at me and I felt this feeling. Like you were trying to comfort me. Like you were telling me I was stupid for even thinking these silly things, and that I should know you better than that, even then. That you were strong enough to overcome every single fear I had without breaking a sweat."

I laughed, recalling how I'd felt then. I was a grown woman and a three month old baby was tougher than I was, geez!

"I stopped being scared after that. I knew between you and your parents, everything would work out. You'd grow up happy, loved by two of the most amazing people I'd ever met. And you'd handle anything that came your way, no matter the odds. You were your parents' child, after all."

We'd finally made it. I let go of Ruri's hand and I sat on the bench, holding the box. I opened it, staring down into the contents. I finally let a tear fall, staining one of the petals as I took the bundle of flowers out of the box. I sobbed, clenching my teeth. I couldn't cry, not yet.

I felt a warmth pressed into my side, two little arms hugging around my midsection.

"It's okay, Ayase-ba. We made it. You can be sad now."

I refused, stubbornly. I couldn't cry. Not until the story was over.

Ruri released me, only to clamber into my lap. She put her arms around my shoulder, and I heard her whisper into my ear,

"I know we made a deal. But you did pretty good this year. We got all the way to the bench and I never saw you sad, not once. You can cheat a little."

Her words were the final straw and I felt the tears start to run down my face. I hugged this beautiful, precious girl and I sobbed, almost crushing the bundle of flowers in my left hand. I cried as it all hit me in one big wave of sadness, pain and regrets.

Before us were two grave markers, side by side. They were made of simple marble and didn't rise very high out of the ground, making it to about my knee. They were etched simply, each carved with a name, a set of dates and a brief message.

Kousaka Kyousuke

June 14, 1994 – September 5, 2031

Beloved Brother. Father. Husband. Friend.

o-o

Kousaka Kirino

September 4, 1997 – September 5, 2031

Beloved Sister. Mother. Wife. Friend.

I cried as I looked at the graves of my two closest friends. Two people so full of life, joy and love, taken from me and from their daughter, much too early. I felt the girl in my arms tremble, and moisture on my shoulder. I didn't comment. I know Ruri hated crying. She didn't like feeling weak. Pretending I didn't notice her sniffling was the least I could do.

After a few moments, we both started to calm down, taking solace in one another. Despite that, my tears never quite stopped, but I didn't let that bother me. I had flowers to leave, incense to light and a story to finish. I gently pried Ruri from around my shoulders and sat her on the bench next to me. She pulled down her large, floppy hat, hiding her face completely from view.

I stood up and took the slightly tousled flowers to the grave markers. I split the arrangement in two, laying each half at the base of the stones. I removed the old stems and leaves from the hollows at the base, before adding the new flowers in.

I stood, brushing my skirt off as I turned to Ruri, who still hid from the world inside the sweeping brim of her hat. Like me, she wasn't openly sobbing anymore, but I knew she was still crying. She would've emerged from behind her hat by now, if she wasn't.

I opened the box she'd abandoned to the floor, pulling out two incense sticks. I stuck one behind my ear as I pulled out a small lighter, lighting the second stick. The smoky scent of incense wafted between us as I held it out to Ruri. She stayed still for a second, before reaching forward and taking the stick from me.

She got up, moving slowly towards the first grave, her father's. She knelt down, resting the incense below the etching.

"Hi daddy. It's been a while. A whole year. I've grown a lot taller. Auntie Ayase says I'll probably be taller than mommy ever was. She's doing a really good job, as usual. She still hasn't shown me how to do her super special pervert repelling spin kick though."

I snorted, covering my face embarrassedly. He'd probably tell me to teach her no such thing, but then come back and ask me to, so she could keep any creepy boys away from her. He was contradictory like that.

"I still miss you. A lot. Even though I don't remember you as good as I used to. You and mommy…but I'm Kousaka Ruri! I'm definitely going to make you guys proud! You can brag to all the other parents in heaven. 'See that perfect, heroic and beautiful girl right there? That's MY daughter.' You can leave it to me!"

Kyousuke, I can't help but believe every word your daughter says. You really would be proud of her.

Ruri came back to me, rubbing at her eyes furiously. I lit the second stick and held it out to her. She took it with a mumbled 'thank you' and walked over to Kirino's grave. She set the incense stick down before kneeling down, smoothing out the lining of her skirt.

"Kaa-chan…I really miss you. I almost miss you more than daddy, but don't tell him I said that! It's only because I need you here to watch Omega Sparkle Fire Princess with me. Daddy never really got into it, but I'll always remember how we'd make popcorn and tea every Tuesday for us to enjoy while we watched the new episode. It's all the way up to Season 8 now, and you won't believe who the Big Bad is this time around!"

I watched Ruri ramble on, recounting the tale of some epic fight between some epic anime characters I knew nothing about. I'd watched a few episodes of the show with her, certainly, but I simply didn't have Kirino's passion for such things. Anime was really never my thing, despite how Ruri would nag me and force me to sit through them with her.

Ruri finished her pantomime, ending in some sort of explosion as far as I could tell, and she knelt back down. She didn't say anything for a while, instead just staring at the stone in front of her. After a few minutes of silence, she finally stood up. She leaned forward and kissed the marble grave marker. She stepped over and kissed Kyousuke's as well.

"Sayonara."

She stepped back blushing fiercely and pulling her hat down. She turned, eyeing me from under the brim, as if to see if I'd seen her doing something so embarrassing. I had, of course, but I didn't comment. Instead I stepped forward myself and knelt before the graves.

"Kirino. Kyousuke. It's good to see you again. It's been almost half a decade now, since you left us. I agree with Ruri-chan, I think she's going to be taller than Kirino ever was. She's probably going to have her dad's height."

"Not too much though." Ruri whispered, peeking at me from under her hat. "I don't want to be like Saori-ba-chan. That's too tall."

I laughed and couldn't help but agree.

"Speaking of which, Saori and Kuroneko are coming into town soon, so you'll probably be seeing them real soon. We may accompany them as well, I haven't really decided. I think I'll just leave that decision up to Ruri-chan when the time comes."

"I miss both of you terribly, even after all this time, but I also want to thank you for bringing Ruri-chan into this world and into my life. She's the best thing that's ever happened to me, and I hope I'm doing right by you with her."

Ruri hugged me from behind, her chin digging into my shoulder.

"Don't be stupid oba-chan. Of course you're doing a good job. Mommy and Daddy are proud of you too, I know it."

I smiled, bowing my head.

"You're probably right, Ruri-chan."

I stood up, dusting the grass off of my skirt as I straightened it. I stared at the resting places of my friends, and I would've sworn that I could almost feel their presence here with me. With us.

Just as expected of my angel Ayase! You're doing such a good job with Ruri!

Who're you calling angel? Hentai! Don't sexually harass my friend from beyond the grave!

I laughed, shaking my head.

"Sayonara." I spoke, giving my own farewell. I picked up the boxes, tucking them under my arm as Ruri and I started walking back. As we made our way back to the car, Ruri elbowed me gently, stirring me from my memories. She didn't say anything and, after a second, I realized. I still had the story to finish.

"So, I knew you would be fine, Ruri-chan. I knew you would be strong and I stopped being scared after that. Life went on and I watched you grow. I feel like every time I visited, you'd made some new leap. Crawling, talking, walking. You were so determined, even at that age. I would babysit you every so often as well, to give your parents some time to themselves. I feel like I really babysat you for me though. I loved spending time with you."

We were back under the cherry blossoms, progressing through our own personal petal blizzard again.

"Your mom's birthday is September 4th, as you know, and when you were almost three, they called me over to watch you on her birthday night. They wanted to have a night out on the town so I'd agreed to sleep over with you. We had dinner, played with your toys and eventually you fell asleep. I stayed up a bit longer, and called your mom to confirm that you were down for the night. She told me I could hit the hay and not to wait up for them."

I sighed. I'll never forget that night. I couldn't, really. It was the last time I'd talked to my best friend.

"I didn't realize something was wrong until I woke up the next morning. You were still sound asleep and I got up to make breakfast for everyone, but I noticed that your parents' bed didn't look slept in. There also weren't any shoes at the front door, and Kyousuke's car wasn't in the driveway. This wasn't like them. Even when we were younger, neither of them had been the type to be out this long. I tried calling them, but I couldn't get through to either of them."

We had reached the stairs and we started going down. Thankfully, this was a much easier trip than the climb up had been.

"It wasn't until later in the day that I got a call from your grandmother. She was crying, barely coherent and I couldn't understand what it was she was trying to tell me. Then your grandfather took the phone and he explained it to me. Your parents had been driving home from the restaurant when they got into a car accident. The ambulance was called and they were rushed to the hospital, but there was nothing that could be done. They both passed in the early hours of the morning."

I felt my tears try to return, only to find nothing there. I was all cried out, it seems.

"We were all devastated. We couldn't believe it. But it was true. When your parents' last will and testament were read, I was told that I was listed as the sole guardian of one Ruri Kousaka. It wasn't a surprise or anything, it was something your parents and I had discussed, way back when your mother was still pregnant with you. I think that was the first time I really felt like a true aunt."

"And you're the best auntie ever, you know that right?" asked Ruri, looking over at me skeptically. Then she looked a bit panicked.

"But you absolutely can't tell Saori-ba or Neko-ba that I said that! I don't want them to think I'm playing favorites. Even though I kinda am…"

She said the last part in a whisper and I waved off her praise, smiling modestly.

"Ruri-chan, you're such a flatterer. You definitely get that from your father."

Ruri stuck her tongue out at me.

"It's not flattery when it's true."

I almost pointed out that that wasn't always the case, but I left it alone. It was a pretty sweet thing to say after all.

We made it back to the car and we climbed back in, buckling our seat belts. I leaned over, opening the glove compartment and retrieving the little pack of wipes I kept there. Opening the seal and pulling one out, I turned to Ruri who was turned away from me, hiding in her hat again.

I clicked my tongue impatiently.

"Ruri-chan, come here. You know I need to wipe that makeup off of your face now that it's all messed up."

Ruri shook her head from side to side, the hat flopping about wildly.

I rolled my eyes. This girl was so stubborn sometimes. I thought of the best way to go about this before I settled on the obvious one.

"Ne, Ruri-chan…if you let me clean your face off, we can stop in Akihabara on the way home. I might even let you buy another figurine." I said, casting my bait.

In no time at all, I was presented with the makeup smudged face of Kousaka Ruri. She refused to meet my eyes, instead staring directly over my head.

"Tch. Do what you want." She muttered rebelliously.

Where have I heard that before?

I wiped the damp wipe over her face, clearing away the swirls of eyeliner and blush that adorned her cheeks. After a few minutes of cleaning, I was satisfied and I folded the wipe, placing it in my bag to dispose of it later. I started the car, reversing out of the space and driving out onto the street proper.

As I worked my way towards exiting onto the highway, Ruri nudged me with her elbow again. I glanced over at her, eyebrows raised.

"You need to finish the story oba-chan…" she whined.

Oh. I'd forgotten. The story was pretty much over. But as far as Ruri was concerned, the story wasn't over until I said a certain phrase.

"And that is how I, Aragaki Ayase, became the guardian of one Kousaka Ruri, the best niece on the entire planet."

I finally got onto the highway and picked up some speed, cruising alongside the other cars. After a few seconds of silence, Ruri poked me again.

"Chii….."

I smiled, ruffling her hair, causing her annoyed noise to increase in both volume and frequency. I finally relented and said the line she'd been waiting to hear.

"Sometimes I find myself thinking…my little niece can't be this cute."

A/N: Well, yet another OreImo oneshot I wrote. This one is from a different angle. It's a bit sadder than we're used to, but sadness has value just as much as happiness does (and no, that's not an Inside Out reference)

I hope you guys enjoyed this story, please drop some feedback if you did. I love hearing what I did right/wrong.

And no, I never explained why they named their daughter off of our favorite gothic Lolita. Stew on the mystery!