Depressed Tech-student Productions presents:

"Umbrella" a KOR fanfiction by Ben Williamson (benw@cco.caltech.edu)
This fanfiction also has heavy VGAi influence.
 
Please please please please pleeeease email me with comments.

Warning:  This fanfiction is sort of a modified approach to the KOR movie
          "I want to return to that day" and as such is quite revealing.
          If you haven't seen the movie, you might not want to read this.
          It also assumes a certain familiarity with the TV series.

<> indicates thought, "" indicates speech ** indicates sound
one minor side note... the name "Cyan" is pronounced "SAI-en" not "Sai-AN"


  prologue. 

  She was getting very wet, she supposed.  Not that she cared.  She
huddled there, clutching her knees to her chest to shelter herself from
the cold within her soul, not from the pathetic attempts of this rainstorm
to chill her body.  She glanced up through rain-soaked locks, brown with a
shade of orange, at the name of the building she lay against.  Tears 
blurred her vision, but she didn't need to read the sign.  She had
been here often enough.  "Green Castle."  Ah, the bitter irony of it all.  
  <Here is a castle, but what sort of princess could I be, without my
Prince?> she questioned.
  More hot tears streaked her pained, yet still beautiful face.  Her
loneliness was a living thing, numbing her slowly from the inside with a
voice that mocked her constantly.
  <SHE is beautiful... strong... mysterious... adult!  What do YOU have to
offer?  Who are you?>
  "Shut up!"  She was tired... alone... she wanted only to be with Him...
wanted only Him.  She noticed, absentmindedly, that the rain had stopped.
So sudden?  
  "Sen...pai?"  She looked up, eyes shining with hope, at the silent boy
holding an umbrella over her head.  No, not Him... but someone familiar,
nonetheless.  Succumbing to heartache and exhaustion, she managed one last
word before collapsing, asleep.
  "Cyan..."
  Wordlessly, cradling her body gently in his arms while holding on to the
umbrella, he began the walk to her home.

  end prologue.

  ***

  They sat on a park bench together.  However he was refusing to
make eye contact with her.  What was wrong?
  "I don't think we should see each other any more."
  <no... this can't be happening... please...>
  "You shouldn't joke like that, senpai!"
  They both knew he wasn't joking.
  "I'm really in love..."
  <3 years... 3 years and he still loves her instead...>
  "... with Ayukawa."  he finished with a slight grimace.
  Her world of smoke and glass mirrors shattered before her... as much as
she had loved him, been there for him, he hadn't changed in all these
years.  She had allowed herself to believe that he loved her now.
  <But... didn't we...>
  "But you kissed me!" 
  "I'm... sorry..."
  He started to walk away.
  <why... why...>
  "Why am I not good enough!"

  ***

  She lay on her bed, looking at her room, and her pictures of Him,
through red eyes.  Her parents were out of town, so she was alone. 
She had tried calling him, breaking down in a public phone booth when he
had hung up.  Why was he so cold now?  Nothing seemed worth it
anymore... even her chances in the play were ruined most likely, after
that distracted audition.  Her lover, her best friend, and her dream... 
Nothing could be the same.  She wondered, distantly, if it would hurt
much...
  But before she... left... one last gift to herself.  She wanted to
remember that kiss:  The taste of coconut almond, shared with Him.  His
sweet breath, his warm, comforting body tight against hers.  A moment that
lasted forever. Or should of, she thought bitterly.
  <Oh yes... I can't forget the music, can I?>
  She had purchased a new CD player from a store which she had never seen
before... the strange foreigner running the shop had even given her the
Wada Kanako "Loving Heart" CD for free, saying that he didn't get much
business. Which seemed true, given that the largish shop had been entirely
empty when she had wandered in.  Never mind... it suited her purpose.
  Track 11, "Tori no yoo ni."  Such a beautiful song, and fitting, too.  
She closed her eyes, forgetting for a moment the knife she was holding in
her hand.  She let the music wash over her, lost herself in the sweet
memories of her time with Him.
  Then, the music was over.
  It...it was over.
  Unnoticed, the CD player switched tracks, to song 16.  It began to
play.
  <Goodbye forever, senpai.  I'm sorry I wasn't good enough...>  
  She held the knife to her chest, resting the point between her
third and fourth ribs.
  "Hey!!"
  She snapped her eyes open, confused.  Some sort of drama track on a Wada
Kanako CD? And a guys voice?
  A bright light filled the room, emanating from her... stereo?
  <It's warm...>  She absent-mindedly let the knife slip from her grasp.
  The strange light continued for a while, then died down.  Standing in
front of her was a boy, about her age, dressed in a t-shirt and jeans.
  "There aren't many perfect breasts in the world... it would be a shame
to ruin yours."
  "Who the hell are you?"  She retrieved the knife, trying to remember
what her best friend had taught her to defend against perverts.  The irony
of defending herself a mere 10 seconds after her planned suicide was lost
on the confused girl.
  "Hey, calm down.  I'm here to help.  My name is Cyan.  I'm a CD guy."
He nudged his black-rimmed glasses farther up on to his nose.
  "Seedy guy?"  
  "CD guy!  CD guy!  Yeesh!" The look on the boy's face was one of near
desperation.
  Faced with something this incredibly stupid, she did the only reasonable
thing.  Once again, the knife fell from her hands, and she did something
which she hadn't done for far too long.
  Hikaru began to laugh.

  ***

  Hikaru flipped the CD case over in her hands, reading the list of titles
printed on the back.  All Wada Kanako songs she had heard before, except
the last.
  <Track 16 "I'm here to help."> 
  And then the name, spelled out in katakana.  "Sa-i-e-n."
  She looked up from the CD case, directing a question at the boy who
leaned, arms crossed, on the desk a few paces from the bed she was sitting
on.
  "So what, you're some sort of angel sent down from heaven to cheer me
up?  Are you designed to be the 'ideal man'?"  
  "Um... how to explain.  A few years back there was this... colleague of
my creator's who designed these 'video girls' who would come out of VCR
tapes and cheer up guys with broken hearts.  The entire thing worked out
pretty well.  So, my creator figured, why not, he could do the same
thing."
  "So he figures magnetic media is outdated, and he uses a CD instead.
Only problem is, it's all harder than he thought.  I mean, for most guys,
you just need good looks, a little maternal affection, maybe some tasty
cooking, and finally a bit of the old ultra-violence and voila, perfect
woman."  
  "I... see."  She didn't.
  "Frankly, my creator knows jack about women, and he acknowledges this.
So, what better way to gather information than with a trial run, right?
Basically, I'm a... prototype?  I fix your problems, my creator gets his
test data, I get do something besides sitting in a lab with tubes and
cables attached god knows where... everybody's happy."
  "Anyway, as I said before, my name is Cyan.  CD guy, age 16.  Nice to
meet you."
  "Hiyama Hikaru.  Nice to meet you too, although I'm still confused.
And you mumble too much."
  "Well, enough about me right?  Could you tell me what led to this?"
  Cyan picked up the knife off the carpet, putting it in one of the desk
drawers.
  "I guess it started with a kiss..."

  ***

  "And then he said 'I'm sorry' and walked away.  Then I tried calling
him, and... and... he wouldn't even speak with me."  Hikaru was getting
more than a little bit teary eyed.
  "Shh... it's okay.  Just take a break."  Cyan was sitting on the
bed next to her, doing his best to comfort her.  He pulled a white
lace hankerchief out of his jean pocket, handing it to Hikaru.
  "Thanks..." 
  "You know... I'm really beginning to think this guy is a real
bastaARgh!!  My nose!  I think you broke my freaking nose!!!"
  Hikaru calmly withdrew her 'fist of fury' and handed the hankerchief
back to Cyan to help stop his blood loss.
  "You should be careful what you say about my Darling."
 
  ***

  The bleeding had stopped rather quickly, and despite the initial
surprise, it hadn't actually hurt that badly.  Still, it was a pretty
impressive backfist.  Cyan grinned slightly to himself, then frowned as he
realized his predicament.
  <Poor girl...she must really care about him.  Wonder what I should do
now?  I really screwed up with that comment.  Hmm... got it!>
  "Hey... I bet you haven't eaten, am I right?"
  Hikaru shook her head slightly.  
  <Yep... have to watch depressives.  Always forgetting to take care of
themselves...>
  "How's French food sound?"
  "What?"
  "Come now, you're a growing girl.  You need to a watch your nutrition.
Heh... besides, it'll help you to think about something else.  Like where
they got the snails you'll be eating."
  Hikaru smiled, if only just a little bit.
  <Wow... she's really cute when she smiles like that.  Kyousuke must be
some sort of schmuck.  Ah well... he'll come around.>
  "Okay then... Ma Mezon, my treat!"
  <I hope this works...>  
  "What?!"  
  "Come on come on get ready!  Ma Mezon is formal dress only"
  "Okaaay."    
  <Score!  First thing is cheer her up, then we work on the guy.>
  
  ***

  "Flash-suit... ON!"
  <hehehehe... have to love the old man's melodrama>
  Cyan was in Hikaru's bathroom, getting ready.  Which in this case meant:
brushing, flossing, and requesting that a nice sport coat and slacks be
teleported to him.  
  <Ah, the miracles of modern technology>
  He glanced at himself in the mirror.   He was about 170cm with a
thin but relatively well muscled frame.  And what looked like the scalp of
a bear stuck to the top of his head.  
  <Doh!  Got to fix the hair...>
  Within a few brief minutes, a confident Cyan sauntered (but just a
little) into the Hiyama family living room, waiting for Hikaru to finish
getting dressed.
  <Hey, I'm starting to like it here.  Get to help out a cute girl... no
stupid lab equipment... expensive food on the old man's tab...>
  "Hikaru?  Are you almost... gah!"
  Hikaru stepped out of her room, looking even more stunningly cute
than usual in a black dress and, somehow, _just_ the right amount of
makeup.  
  "My eyes!  My eyes!  Dear god I've been blinded!  Mortal men are not
prepared to see such..."
  "Stop babbling."  Hikaru smiled sweetly anyway.
  "Okay then.  Shall we go?"
  "I'm not quite sure why I agreed to this, but why not?"

  ***
  
  The subway ride had been short and uneventful, and despite a 20 minute
wait they had finally been seated at Ma Mezon.   
  "...the chicken cordon bleu, and... the chef salad.  Thanks."
  "And for you, miss?"
  Hikaru wasn't paying attention for some reason...
  "Miss?"
  "Hikaru?"
  <What's wrong?...>
  Cyan turned slowly, following Hikaru's gaze to see a teenaged couple
enter the restaurant, each with an arm around the other's waist.  A tall
beautiful girl with long black hair, accompanied by a relatively normal
looking guy, about Cyan's size. They were snuggled rather closely
together, obviously enjoying each other's company quite a bit.
  <huh?>
  "Miss?" The waiter repeated.
  Hikaru was deathly silent, apparently transfixed by the image of the
couple.  She got out of her chair slowly, ignoring the waiter entirely.
Cyan glanced up at her face noticing a tear starting to form.
  <oh.... shiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiit!>
  Hikaru dashed out of the restaurant, scattering tear-drops in her wake.
  "Hikaru!"
  <Of all the restaurants... in all the... oh forget it.>
  "Sorry about this." Cyan apologized to the annoyed waiter, then ran out
of the restaurant in pursuit.

  ***

  Kyousuke thought he heard a name all too familiar, right as a red-headed
figure dashed past him and Madoka.
  <nah... it couldn't be... could it?>
  "Was that...?
  Madoka just _looked_ at him.
  <gulp!>
  "Erm... table for two?"
  "Of course sir." 

  ***

  <100 yen... now where's a 10 yen piece?  Ah... there...>
  *clunk*
  Cyan fished the can out of the vending machine receptacle, and returned
to the bench where Hikaru was sitting.
  "Here... hot tea.  I don't want you catching a cold."
  Cyan had finally caught up with Hikaru, about three blocks away, at a
local park.  A few ducks were illuminated on the surface of the pond by
the moonlight, but otherwise the park was pretty much empty, given
that it was getting rather late.
  "So that was them, huh?"  Hikaru was just staring emptily at the pond,
not doing anything with the can, so Cyan took it back.  He opened it for
her, then placed it carefully into her hands.
  <She's beautiful under this moonlight.  I wish I could help her more,
damnit!>
  "You better wear this too."  Cyan removed his dinner jacket, placing it
around a still unresponsive Hikaru's shoulders.  Finally, Hikaru responded
with a whisper.
  "Do you think she's beautiful, Cyan?"
  "I... umm..." 
  "Would you choose her over me?"
  "I'm a CD guy... it's not... like that..."
  <Damnit... I hope this is worth it to you old man, because I feel like
crap right now...>
  Hikaru began sobbing, softly, into Cyan's shoulder.  He gave her his
best imitation of a brotherly hug while trying to wipe away her tears with
a new hankerchief.
  "Let's go home Hikaru.  You've had a rough day.  I'll cook you some
dinner... it'll be better than that french stuff anyway, I promise.  Hope
you like tofu."
  
  ***

  She was flying.
  The sun was brighter than usual, but she didn't mind.  The wind was
blowing softly, and smelt of violets, she thought.  All around her was
blue sky, white clouds, or the purple and green of a meadow that
stretched out for ever.
  And she had angel's wings--huge and pure white--carrying her high above
it all.
  And there was her darling!  Her senpai, Kasuga Kyousuke.  Spring day.
It was all perfect... he had the same massive angel's wings.
  "Hikaru-chan!  I've been wanting too see you.  I've missed you so
badly!"
  Hikaru sang for joy, dove from the sky to meet her lover.  He embraced
her, first with his strong arms, then wrapping his beautiful wings around
her.  She was surrounded by his warmth; overcome by his scent.
  <He's going to kiss me.>  She leaned her head forward, expectantly.
  "Kasuga-kun."  A familiar voice...
  <No!  Not here!  She can't be here!>
  Kyousuke's grip on Hikaru relaxed immediately.  Hikaru glanced over his
shoulder as she felt her heart sink.
  Hikaru was an angel... but She... She was a Goddess.
  Kyousuke released her, turning to face the newcomer.
  <It's not fair!>
  Hikaru screamed.  Her wings shrivelled, dissappearing.  She tried to
cling to Kyousuke so she wouldn't fall.
  <No!  Don't leave me!>
  "Don't leave me!!!"
  "Shh...it's okay, I'm here Hikaru."
  Her eyes snapped open, reality flooding in to Hikaru's thoughts.  After
the park... Cyan had taken her home, fixed her dinner, then tucked her into
bed.  She remembered before falling asleep that he was sitting in a
chair next to her bed, watching her.  She had felt a little safer, knowing
he was there.  She wasn't sure why...
  And now she was holding Cyan in a tight embrace.
  <Oops!>  She scrambled to disentangle herself from him.
  "Umm... sorry..." Hikaru was blushing profusely.
  "Hey, don't worry about it.  You were dreaming about him, weren't you.
You're going to make me feel bad, if my cooking gives you nightmares."
  Hikaru glanced over at the penguin-shaped clock near her bedside.
  <4:30 in the morning?  Has he been here all this time?>
  "Cyan?  How long is your... 'playing time?'"
  "I'm a prototype, so my creator didn't want to restrict himself with an
arbitrary time limit.  So I'm here as long as you need me, I suppose."
  "I'm glad..."
  "Hey!  Are you trying to make me blush?"  Cyan grinned.  "Here... get
some sleep.  You've got play practice tomorrow, right?  Mr. Bear will take
care of you."  
  Cyan picked up the teddy bear from it's resting place in Hikaru's room,
leaving the bear's shawl on the floor.
  "His name is Kumagorou."
  "Well then, Kumagorou says 'Hikaru-chan, get some sleep!'"
  Cyan placed the teddy bear's mouth near Hikaru's, mimicking a kiss, then
left the room.

  ***

  Despite his exhaustion, Cyan was having trouble getting to sleep.  He
was lying on a couch in Hikaru's living room, staring at the ceiling.
  He was thinking about how radiant Hikaru was in her dinner dress.  How
innocent she looked, sleeping there in her bed while he had watched over
her.  And most of all, how even when she was crying tears from heartbreak,
she managed to be beautiful.  
  <She's... wonderful.  She doesn't deserve any of this.>
  *sigh*
  He tossed his pillow up at the ceiling, caught it as he came back
down, then let it drop to the floor next to the couch.
  Drawing his index finger over his lips, lightly, he pondered recent
events.  She had been dreaming of Kyousuke, to be sure.  But she had been
so close.  Too close, perhaps.  
  <She almost... kissed me.>
  Cyan was, to put it lightly, inexperienced.  He was doing his best to
understand his motivations.  And he wasn't sure he liked the answer.
  <Could it be?  Am I...?  No, I'm a CD guy.  That sort of thing
doesn't happen.  But I am a prototype...>
  <The old man would laugh his ass off if he knew one of his creations
was falling in love.  Maybe he accidentally set my empathy level up too
high or something.>
  <Anyway... focus on the task at hand, right Cyan?  Tomorrow maybe I
should see what's up with Mr. Kasuga...>
  Picking up the pillow, he resumed tossing it at the ceiling above his
head.  Yet, for some reason, he couldn't relax enough to go to sleep.
 
  ***

  "good morning."
  Hikaru rolled over in bed, wrapping herself up in her sheets.
  "Good Morning."
  "Wha?"  Hikaru snapped a single weary eye open.
  "GOOD MORNING!!!"
  "Kyaa!"  
  *WHAP!*
  "Stupid talking clock..."
  The said offensive object, having been propelled across the room by a
backhand swipe, bounced off two walls then came to rest at the end of
Hikaru's bed.  The digital clock on the rotund plastic penguin's belly,
flashing silently, read "1:00pm."
  "One o'clock?"  
  <I slept what, thirteen, fourteen hours?  Yeesh...>
  She hopped out of bed, then walked over to her bathroom.  Running some
cold water over her hands, she splashed it into her face   Looking up into
the mirror, she found dark rings under her eyes.  Still, she was feeling
better today.
  "Cheer up Hikaru!"
  She gave herself a cute smile, eyes sparkling again.  She flexed her
biceps at the mirror, giggling a little, then started to undress,
preparing for the shower.  Something on the mirror caught her eye,
however.
  <A note?  And... tickets?>  She pulled both pieces of paper off her
mirror and began reading.
  "
  Good morning Hikaru.
  
  I set your alarm for 1 since I knew you had practice for 'Downtown
Cats' at 2:30.  I figured you needed your rest.  Sorry I'm not there right
now but there are a few random things I need to do.  Anyway, I think you
said that your practice ended at 5, so I should be back by about 6.    
  I made you some lunch, so be sure to eat enough.  It's chinese again.  I
hope you don't mind but I just realized that I don't know how to cook
anything else.  

                                        See you later,

                                        Cyan

  P.S.  Do your best at practice.  I'm looking forward to seeing the
play.

  P.P.S.  Oh yeah!   I nearly forgot the tickets.  They're for the Wada
Kanako concert coming up.  Third row.  Anyway, when I get back we can
discuss what you're going to say to Kyousuke to get him to go with you ;)   
  "
  Hikaru looked at the tickets thoughtfully, then set them aside.  She
started showering, thinking to herself as she did.
  <I wonder where he went?>

  ***

  *chomp*
  Cyan finished off the remains of the cutlet sandwich he had purchased
from a sidewalk vendor, then washed it down with what was left of his can
of tea.
  "Ah... caffeine."  Cyan's body shivered involuntarily as the chemical
stimulus took effect.
  <Damn I'm tired.  I should of gotten more than 4 hours of sleep last
night.>
  Cyan's vision wasn't quite clear.  He was more than a bit exhausted,
but he remained focused on his 'mission'.
  <Ah... they're moving again.  Must be done eating.  Where to now, I
wonder?>
  Cyan had been following Kyousuke since early morning, waiting outside
Green Castle, then outside the review class, where Kyousuke had met up
with Madoka.  Afterwards, they had gone for a stroll in a park, grabbed a
late lunch, and were walking off together now.
  For the hundreth time, Cyan cursed the boredom of it all.    
  <But hey, I've got to find out more about this guy.  Not to mention the
girl.>  
  He glanced at his wristwatch.  3:00.
  *sigh*
  <I know these two are attached to each other at the hip, but
that's about it.  Well... Hikaru was right... they're definitely a couple.
Poor girl.  From what she said sounds like she never had a chance.>
  <Ack!  What sort of attitude is this from a CD guy?>
  Cyan whapped himself on the head with a loose fist, chastising himself
for his stupidity.
  <At the very least, I'm leaving Hikaru with her two old friendships, and
this Kyousuke guy is going to her play if I have to freaking drag him...>
  The play was the key, Cyan thought.  Even if it seemed Cyan wasn't going
to be able to "reclaim" Kyousuke for Hikaru, he felt that somehow it would
be alright if Kyousuke went to the play. 
  <Anyway, maybe he'll go to the concert with her... that'll work too.
Never give up.  Right, me?>
  Cyan solemnly nodded to himself.
  <Yep.  That's what I thought.>
  Looking ahead, he saw the couple heading into a cafe, 'ABCB'.  
  "Aha!  The cafe where they work..."
  Realizing he was tired, and still had a couple of hours before he had
agreed to meet with Hikaru again, he took a break, sitting on a bench
across the street from the cafe.
  <Just a bit longer...>
  <...ah... nice... comfy... bench>
  *zzz*

  ***

  It was an exhausting practice, but Hikaru was feeling great despite her
physical fatigue.  The two and a half hours had taken forever, but she
felt more confident than ever now.
  "Hiyama!"
  "Yes?"  It was the director, motioning for her to come over to him.
  She ran over to his side, but he was still silent.  He handed her a
rolled up a piece of paper, then shouted to the gathered dancers.
  "Listen up everybody!"
  Hikaru unrolled the paper.  It was a flier for the play, "Downtown Cats"
starring... Hiyama Hikaru?
  "Hiyama got the lead!  I still expect all of you to work just as
hard!  We've got just three more days.  You're dismissed."
  "I got the part?"  
  <I got the part!  I can't wait to tell Cyan!>
  <Cyan?>  Hikaru was feeling happy but... confused...
  <I mean Kyousuke.  I can't wait to tell Kyousuke.>
  She started walking home, repeating it to herself as if to convince
anyone listening.

  ***

  "Whooaaa!"
  Cyan fell out of the bench, whacking his forehead on the pavement below.  
  <Oy... I don't feel so good.  Must of been something in that
sandwich.>
  Suddenly, Cyan noticed it was dark.  Or, one could say, dusk dawned upon
him.
  "Argh!  I fell alseep.  What time is it?"  He muttered to himself,
while glancing at his wristwatch.
  <Whew... only 5:30.  I've got time. I'll just grab a quick drink and go
meet Hikaru.>
  Looking around, he noticed the only cafe nearby was ABCB.  
  <Hey, what could it hurt.  Hikaru said they have good coffee anyway.>
  "Welcome!"  A cheerful voice greeted him as he entered the well-kept
cafe.  
  <That would be Ayukawa Madoka.>
  Madoka was in apron, working behind the counter, while Kyousuke was
apparently off-duty, flipping through some books across from her.  The
cafe was otherwise empty.
  "Where would you like to sit?"
  Cyan selected a booth, right next to the cafe's telephone, and sat down.
  "I'll bring a menu right away, sir."
  "No need, I'll just take a latte.  Thanks."
  At the sound of Cyan's voice, Kyousuke looked up from his book at the
newcomer to cafe, giving him a suspicious glance.
  <What the?  Did he see me following them?  Don't think it matters at
this point anyway.>
  Madoka went back behind the counter to prepare the coffee.  While she
was there, the phone rang.   
  "I'll get it."  Kyousuke moved over to the phone, picking it up.
  "Thanks!"  Madoka answered from the behind the counter.
  Cyan sat, sipping from his complimentary ice water, feeling more than a
bit tired, when he realized something was wrong.
  Kyousuke hadn't said a word on the phone yet, other than "Hello."
  Simultaneous with this realization, Kyousuke replaced the phone on the
receiver.  Cyan's blood made an effort to match the temperature of his
drink.  It was 5:30, he realized... Hikaru would be home about now.
  <Oh no... she didn't...>
  Kyousuke responded to Madoka's questioning glance.  His face was
a distinctly unpleasant one.
  "Yes, it was Hikaru.  Something about a concert ticket.  I wish she'd 
stop calling me like that."
  Cyan heard, distantly, the sound of glass breaking.  
  "Sir!  Your hand!"  It was Madoka's voice, sounding concerned.
  Cyan glanced down at his hand, bleeding slightly from a gash across the
palm which held the shattered remnants of his drink glass.  With a
confused look, he clenched his wounded hand shut, then withdrew a 500 yen
piece from his pocket with the other.  
  "Sorry about this."
  Tossing the coin at the counter, he ran out the door to the cafe.

  ***

  <Damnit! I have to get to Hikaru.>
  Cyan was running towards the nearest subway station, when a familiar
voice stopped him.
  "Sir... your hand.  Is it okay?"  It was Kyousuke.  How Kyousuke had
gotten _in front_ of him was inscrutable to him.  But he was concerned
with other things right now.
  "It's fine.  Now if you'll excuse me..."
  Cyan walked past Kyousuke, steadily increasing his speed again in his
hurry to get to the station and to Hikaru's home.
  A hand on his shoulder stopped him.
  "What is it!?"  Cyan turned around, knocking Kyousuke's hand off his
shoulder.  
  "Why are you following us?"  Kyousuke's face was deadly serious.  Then
again, as far as he knew, this strange guy was following around Ayukawa,
his one true love.  
  Cyan wasn't in the mood to answer questions.
  <This... this bastard hurt my Hikaru and now he wants me to answer his
stupid questions?  F#$% him!>
  <Huh?  My Hikaru?  What's wrong with me...?>    
  "Why are you following us!?" Kyousuke repeated his accusation.
  Cyan was confused, tired, and didn't fully understand what was happening
to him.  He responded the only way he knew... with anger.
  "Why am I following you?  Why did you hurt Hikaru!  Why did you abandon
her when she needed you most!  Why did you kiss her, if you love some one
else!  Why ..."
  "SHUT UP!!!"  Kyousuke had been concerned only about Ayukawa, and was
completely unprepared for this attack.  The ire in Cyan's words was
disorienting him.  Unable to respond verbally to the accusations, he
lashed out physically.  
  The resultant telekinetically boosted shove from Kyousuke sent Cyan
flying back 15 feet, his head knocking a dent into the external wall of
the small shop neighboring ABCB.  Fortunately for the Kasuga family, there
were no witnesses to the seen except for Cyan himself.  Fortunately for
said witness, he had a thick skull.  
  The two bewildered boys echoed each other's sentiment.
  "Who the hell are you?"
  <Damnit old man, tell me next time when you send me to some place with 
freaking ESPERS you geezer!>
  Shaking his head clear, Cyan picked himself up off the ground, preparing
to make a strategic withdrawal from his interaction with the angered
telekinetic.
  Until he noticed the look on Kyousuke's face.
  It was one of fear, yes.  But mostly, pain and sadness.  If
Cyan's empathy level had been artificially boosted by his creator, now was
the time he felt it most, as there was an entirely palpable sense of loss,
guilt, and unhappiness emanating from Kyousuke.
  <Damn... I screwed up again didn't I.>
  "I apologize.  You do care about her, don't you."
  Kyousuke responded with a nod.  He looked as if he were nearly on the
verge of tears.  
  "Who... are you?"  He whispered, exhausted.
  <Well... this certainly changes things, doesn't it?  I know his secret
though... maybe it'll be worth it to tell him.>
  "My name is Cyan.  I'm... well... do you know of somewhere we can talk
in private?"
  
  ***

  "I'm back!"
  It was 6:45 before Cyan, newly armed with knowledge of Kyousuke's
intentions and feelings, returned to Hikaru's home.  
  <Finally... where has he been?>
  "I'm here."  She answered softly.
  Hikaru was curled up on her bed, clutching Kumagorou.  She hadn't
moved since her phone call to Kyousuke.  She had stopped crying about half
an hour ago, but then she had just been lonely.  Waiting for Cyan.
  <Should I tell him?  He wanted me to wait until he came back...>
  "Cyan... I... about the ticket..."
  "It's okay... I know."  He sat down on the bed beside her, propping her
up so that she leaned back onto his chest, and started giving her a back
rub.
  <Mm... that feels good...>
  <What does he mean he knows?  Never mind...>
  "By the way... I got the lead part, Cyan."
  "Hey!  That's great!  I'll take you out to dinner to celebrate okay?"
  "I'm going to go tell senpai tomorrow that I got the lead for him, and
ask him to go to the play."
  The back rub stopped suddenly.
  "I... I'm not sure that's a good idea."
  <What!?> 
  "Why not?  
  Cyan removed his hands from her shoulders, then got off the bed, and
started pacing around nervously.
  "What's wrong?"
  "I... talked with Kyousuke today..."
  <No... why would he?>
  "I think he still cares for you, Hikaru.  But he loves Madoka... and I
don't think he will come to the play."
  <how can he say that!>
  Cyan continued "I promise I'll help you in anyway I can... I'll stay
until I can find you someone.  But I don't think it can be him."  
  Hikaru wasn't listening.
  "I trusted you!  You promised... you promised you'd help me get him back
and I trusted you!"  
  Hikaru was shouting, her grief escaping her own control.  Cyan moved to
hold her shoulders, trying to calm her down.
  She shook herself free of him, grabbing her penguin clock from off her
bedside.   
  "Why did you even come out of there, if you were just going to hurt me!"
  "I'm sorry..."  Cyan was in pain, a small part of Hikaru realized.
  Hikaru threw her clock at the stereo, knocking it over.  Cyan moved
towards her again, trying to hold her in his arms.
  His look was filled with equal parts shock and quiet sadness as his arms
passed through her.
  "I'm sorry I wasn't good enough, Hikaru-chan..."
  <Wait... what's happening... I didn't mean...>
  Cyan was fading away, no longer solid.  She could see through his body
to the wall behind him, where the clock and stereo lay together in a pile.  
  <Wait!  Don't leave!>
  "Cyan!  Don't go!  I'm sorry..."
  Hikaru threw herself at his image, passing through him as his arms had
passed through her.
  "I still need you!  You said you'd be here as long as I needed you!"
  "i'm sorry i wasn't good enough... but I love..." Cyan's voice cut out
in midsentence.  His image faded, leaving a distraught Hikaru alone.
  Again.

  ***

  The night passed slowly, as did the following day.  Hikaru spent the
time remaining preparing herself for what was to come.  She clenched her
'Downtown Cats' flier in a tight fist.  It was all she was, now.  In the
coming battle it would be her weapon and her armour.  She would put
everything she had into this one last attempt.
  <I'm so sorry, Cyan... but I have to try this one last time.  It's all I
have left... don't you see?>  
  She boarded the train on her way to the 'Green Castle.'
  Tonight, she would throw her soul into claiming the heart of someone she
knew did not love her.

  ***

  "LET GO OF ME YOU BASTAAAAARRRRDD!  Hikaru needs me!"
  "Be quiet, Cyan.  Whining isn't becoming of a CD guy.  Neither is
falling in love.  But that didn't stop you did it now?"
  Cyan was strapped down to a large table, in his creators lab, cables
and tubing leading to all sorts of unpleasant places.  
  "Now let's see here... blood sample... urine sample..."
  "Damnit aren't you listening to me!  Let go of me!"
  "Oh yes... saliva."
  One remaining tube was slid into place by the short old man who was
responsible for Cyan's existence.  Cyan merely mmmrghf'd in reply.
  "We need to see what caused you to go against your programming... I must
admit I learned quite a bit from your experiences but you're still not
quite right.  Don't worry, you won't remember a thing and soon I'll send
you to someone else to comfort.  A few more tries and we should have this
down perfectly."
  The 'mad doctor' whistled to the tune of Tori Amos's "Happy Worker" and
prepared to get down to business.  
  In short, it really sucked to be Cyan.  
  *Pin-pon!*
  "Ah... the door bell!  Don't move Cyan, I'll be right back.  Oh, silly
me.  You can't"  Cyan's creator grinned at him, then went to answer the
door.
  Another old man entered the room, shorter and with less hair than Cyan's
creator.  However, his eyes had a certain... clarity to them that the
creator lacked.
  "What's up, old man?  Haven't seen you around in a while."
  "Eh, I was just in the neighborhood.  What're you up to?"
  "Not much, just tweaking one of my creations.  You know...there aren't
many of 'us' around these days.  It's not often I get a visit if you know
what I mean..."  Cyan's creator was obviously confused as to the nature
of the visit.
  "Hey, before business, drinking!  I brought some whiskey... pour it over
some of this snow I brought from the mountain I live nearby... it's great
stuff."
  The creator nodded his head in agreement.  The two men sat down, poured
drinks for each other, and savored the taste while Cyan looked on,
bewildered.  After the drinks were done, the visitor put away the bottle.
  "Well, you see, I'm actually here for him."  He pointed a finger at
Cyan.
  "Um... what?"
  "I'm taking him with me when I leave."
  "I'm afraid I can't let you do that."
  "I'm afraid you have to.  You owe me a _favor_ if you recall..."
  "Huh?  A favor?"
  The creator sat there, puzzled.  Then a massive frown appeared.
  "Oh damn... Cairo..."
  "Yep.  I saved your butt in Cairo and you owe me B-I-G.  Anyway, I'm
in a hurry so I'll be leaving now."
  "Well, I can't stop you, obviously.  What is this about anyway?  Why do
you want my prototype so much?"
  "It isn't about the prototype.  It's about my grandson."
  The aged visitor waved a hand, causing himself and Cyan to vanish,
leaving a lab of testing equipment and a very confused creator/demigod
behind.

  ***

  "Let go of me."
  "I can't... if I let go of you, you'll leave me.  I can never give you
up."
  He pulled away from her, walking away, forever.
  "Don't you even like me anymore!  What did I ever mean to you!"
  "Answer me!"
  Her only answer was cold wind, and her former lover's back, walking
away.
  <Cyan... you were right, weren't you.  But now, you're gone, and I don't
have anything left.  I'll wait for him... I'll wait for him forever if I
have to!> 
  Raindrops joined her tears in marking wet trails down her face.

  ***

  She woke, finding herself in her bedroom.  Just like the first night she
had met him, Cyan was there, in a chair besides her, holding her hand to
comfort her.
  "How...?"
  "Don't worry about it right now.  Just rest."
  "I'm sorry... I'm so sorry..."
  She was sitting up in bed, so he gently pressed down on her shoulder's,
trying to persuade her to lie down and get some sleep.
  Taking advantage of her position, she locked her arms behind his neck,
pulling him close to her.
  "I was a fool, Cyan.  But I'm glad you're here..."
  She pulled him down further, stealing a kiss.  Neither lemon nor
coconut almond, but still a kiss worth remembering.
  A few moments later, she let herself go to sleep.  Cyan carefully
left the room.
  
  ***

  Cyan came to the bottom of a set of 100 steps near where he knew
Kyousuke lived,  As they had agreed, Kyousuke was there, waiting for him.
  Cyan spoke first. 
  "She loves you now, you know..."
  "I guess that's true.  It feels odd... being loved.  I never thought
I'd get to see what it felt like.  I feel terrible for what I just did to
her though."  Kyousuke responded.
  "I think it will be better for her in the long run, that way... I guess
this does mean that I'm definitely not going to her play though."
  "We need to give her time.  Anyway, I must say this entire thing is
very weird..."
  "By the way, she kissed you, you know.  She's gotten better at it."
  "She what!  She... kissed me?  Then that means..."
  "Yeah, it does.  Anyway, thanks for all of this.  I don't know what
I would of done if I hadn't run into you..."
  "My pleasure."  Kyousuke said.  And he meant it.    
  "Are you ready?"  Cyan questioned.
  Kyousuke nodded.  Both men closed their eyes and clenched their teeth
to prepare for the coming impact.
  *whap!*
   
  ***

  Author's Notes (long) (no... really really long):

  Okay, a quick one.  If you're trying to figure out what Kyousuke's
grandfather was mentioning to Cyan's creator about Cairo... don't try 
too hard.  It's not a reference to anything except to the fact that in
VGAi the creators of the video girls are demi-gods of a sort, and that
in KOR Kyousuke's grandfather definitely ranks as at least a demi-god,
given his remarkable abilities.  As such, it didn't seem like too much
of a stretch to have two demi-gods have interactions with each other in
the past, given that beings of their power levels are few and far between.  

  Also, I'm assuming you figured it out for yourself if you saw the movie,
but the prologue inserts itself right after Hikaru's last words with
Kyousuke.

  This is my first fanfic, and I tried my best to do it well.  I tried to
stay away from overly bad cliches, I checked the spelling, grammar, and
continuity, and tried most of all to stay _in character_.  Before you
wonker me on the head, I do acknowledge I modified the continuity of the
movie... I took out some bits, and reordered some things slightly.  For
example, Kyousuke is in ABCB when he receives the phone call from Hikaru,
as opposed to his house as in the movie.  Also, I don't think Madoka was
doing part-time while she was studying.  I hope you understand these were
minor changes used by myself to advance the plot.

  This fanfic was written as a catharsis.  I watched the KOR movie for the
first time two weeks ago, and it was the most painful experience in my
entire life.  For a simple reason. I fell very much in love with Hikaru...
she's one of the most hated characters in anime, but I find her very
beautiful. Within the group I watched KOR with, there were people that
cheered when she died in Kyousuke's dream.  People that called her bitch,
or stupid, continuously.  (If you feel like losing a kidney, feel
free to come up to me and say something similar)  During the TV series,
Hikaru was just sort of funny... a nice girl, but incredibly clueless.
But in the movie, all this changes... she is transformed from a comedic
device to an avatar of tragic romance and self sacrifice.  She is
innocent, naive, kind, and of course very beautiful. But most of all, she
is someone who is willing to sacrifice anything, to throw body and soul
into a quest for true love that is doomed from the very onset to failure.
And to do all this for three years... I challenge anyone to find someone
as cool as this in all of anime.  (Saying Figure Four doesn't count ^_^.
It would be nifty if Hikaru could do Hertza Haeon though...)
  
Thanks so much for reading the fanfic, and thanks even more if you
actually read my author's notes.  

I won't lie to you... I'll be crushed if you flame the story, but I want
to hear it anyway.  Any comments, good or bad, suggested edits, whatever.  

send them here to me, Ben Williamson, at benw@cco.caltech.edu

Thanks go out to the creators of VGAi and KOR, my friend who's
multi-thousand dollar AV setup enabled me to watch both of them, and
to Inaba <mattj@icnet.net>  who taught me the difference between and
ellipsis, a period, a semicolon, and a comma.  J. Nutley too, for
being one of the first people to read the final version.  
Thanks for your help...

last extra tidbit for cool people who read the author's notes

  ***
  
  <I wonder what I'm going to do now> 
  Cyan rubbed his head, which was aching slightly, as he watched Kyousuke
walk off.
  "Oh yeah!"  Kyousuke's voice startled him somewhat.
  "What?"
  "You didn't think my grandfather was going to leave you hanging, did
you?  I mean you don't have a much a past or identity here.  No family,
no school.  It would be hard for you."
  <Yeah... I was sort of wondering about that.>
  "Don't worry about it.  My grandfather has some stuff for you.  Drop by
Green Castle tomorrow.  It's not like you can live with Hikaru forever...
not once her parents come back from her trip..."
  "Okay, so what then?" 
  "You'll be living with some family of ours... my mother's side of the
family.  Here's the first bit of it.  I'll see you tomorrow... and
thanks again, Cyan."
  Kyousuke tossed a card at Cyan, then turned to walk off.
  "You're grandfather's a good man, Kyousuke."
  Cyan glanced down at the card.  A driver's license, with his picture
identifying him...
  "You're grandfather too, now.  Cousin."  Kyousuke smiled and walked
off.
  ...as Kasuga Cyan.  
  
-- 
                                        Ben Williamson

                                        "Love, then honor.  Then food."