Dragon Fantasy VII: Eternal Fire, Chapter Four

[lonewolfprincess]

Keiko shivered quietly under her blanket, staring ahead as the police loaded her mother into a car, the woman still raving about how she deserved to be the greatest tech mogul of all time, not that stubby little nerd Toshiro, not even bothering to acknowledge her daughter.

Kimiko sat next to her and threw an arm over her shoulder as the car drove away, the others hovering close by.

“Okay, stupid question time, but… how are you feeling?”

Keiko gave a dark chuckle, not sure why she wasn’t crying yet.

“You’d think I’d be relieved, but… mostly, I just hurt? She was a horrible mother, but… it’s not like I have anything else… And I’m terrified that she almost…” She buried her face in her hands, tears still dammed tightly despite the ache in her chest and stomach.

Mia and Tori nodded grimly as Kimiko tightened her hug.

“Brr?”

Dojo’s eyes widened as he ducked under Clay’s hat. “Oh no, not again…”

Instead of stalking Dojo, though, the calico padded confidently to the girl crying under the thick, soft blanket, stubby tail waving high in the air. She blinked at the human for only a second before hopping in her lap and immediately making biscuits.

“Huh.” Keiko’s thousand-yard stare gave way to a dazed smile. “I always did want a cat or two.”

“There you go!” Kimiko grinned. “There’s a lot you can do now! You can pick which schools you want to apply for, what degree you want to study. Heck, you can live out in the woods with a million cats!”

Keiko gave another faint laugh, lighter but stronger this time, as she gently scratched the purring cat’s chin.

“I think… one change at a time. Starting with one cat and… probably a lot of therapy.”

Raimundo sat on Keiko’s other side. “And hey… you know what this means? You can call Kimiko as much as you want now. And you have those monthly meetups to look forward to, right?”

Keiko smiled, nodding softly.

“Thank you. And… I’d like that. And you all are more than welcome to join. If… you want to stay friends, that is?”

Tori grinned as she somehow grabbed everyone to pull them down for a sitting group hug.

“Awww, of course we’d love to!”

Mia chuckled. “And hey, Tori and I can give you tips for how to set things up for your new friend.” And, of course, give the poor girl some advice on coping with losing a bad mother.

Dojo shuddered, peeking out from under Clay’s hat. “Just… make sure she stays at least fifty feet away from me, please and thank you.”

Toshiro rolled his eyes. “And please keep Dojo-san fifty feet away from any turmeric supplements.”

Everyone except Omi eyed Dojo warily. Omi merely nodded.

“Ah, yes. Master Fung is most careful about which teas Dojo may consume. The turmeric ones are held in a locked chest!”

“Noted,” Raimundo said with a shudder.

Dojo rolled his eyes. “Oh, like you’re one to talk, Mr. Caffeine Fiend!”

Everyone gave a light chuckle, even Keiko, muted as she leaned into Kimiko’s shoulder. Her center still felt chilled, but the blanket, the purring cat curled up in her lap, her best friend’s arms around her, the warm golden lights of the city dancing on the water of the bay… they all pushed against the chill, shrinking it slowly.