Chapter 2

"Dear... Rei," Momo says sniffing. She had been trying to write a
letter most of the day. She hadn't come out of her room, except to eat, and
use the bathroom. "I'm sorry for what I did..... no no." Crumples the paper,
and tosses her tenth attempt at a letter, in her waste basket, getting a new
sheet.

"Dear... Rei," This time her tears fall on the page, smudging Rei's
name into a blue smear. Seeing this she cries again. Suddenly, a loud thump
is heard against her wall... from Rei's room. She scurries to her door with
hope, and enters his room, only to find him packing his things in a large
travel bag.

"Rei.... You, you're back?" Says in a quiet tone.

He doesn't even turn around, but does stop. "What do you want?" His
voice still holds anger, but nowhere near what it did.

"I want to apologize for the way I did what I did earlier. I was
hoping for the best." She smiles a bit, remembering the kiss all to vividly.
His soft, wet fur, tickling her mouth, his lips pressed firmly to hers, the
feeling of her first, true kiss.

"Is that it?" He turns to her. "You know, you could'a just told me,
and I would'a been more enthused about it all, but the way you did it, was
just so wrong." He resumes packing, a heavy sigh comes from him. "I do wish
we could'a.... you know, under a better circumstance though." He ties the
bag and heaves it over his shoulder.

"Rei!" She calls out to him as he walks past her, he slows down, stops
and looks to her.

"Leave me alone...I wanna be alone right now." Heads out the door.

Momo runs back in her room, and quickly puts her sandals on, and runs
out and yells to him. "Rei, I love you....." She immediatly puts her arms
around her, the cold night air, not too pleasant on her body, for she's
still wearing her bathing suit.

This prompts Rei to stop and turn around, the same emotionless
expression. After a few seconds, which feels like a several hours to both of
them, he walks back to her, and stops, dropping his bag.

"Momo," She looks up into his eyes. "I can't say I feel the same way
right now, and I also can't say I don't feel the same way. I need time, time
to get this outta my system, to cool off. I may be back tomorrow, or next
month." Kneels down, and takes out an orange blanket, with black tiger
stripes, one which Momo had made for him on his last birthday. "I want you
to take this as something to remember me by."

"But I made this for you. You liked it so much." She tried to give it
back to him.

"I still like it, but I want you to keep it for now, 'till I come
back. Don't forget me." Places his hand on her cheek, she closes her eyes,
shivering from his touch and the cold air. He then takes the blanket, and
wraps it around her, and with a slight hesitation, kisses her cheek. "Take
care." Heaves his back over his shoulder again, and takes off again.

"How could I ever forget you..." She smiles saying to herself, with
tears in her eyes. She knows he feels the same, all he needs is to get over
his anger. "I love you.... 'till we meet again." She wipes her tears and
wraps the blanket tightly around her, then goes back inside. She enters her
room, takes a picture of Rei she had take, and lays on her bed holding the
picture. She kisses the picture, and falls asleep.
 
 

The next day, same as yesterday, a bright sunny day. Nina and Ryu are
already up, Peco still sleeping, as usual, and Teepo out for the morning,
God only knows what he's doing. Nina finishes her breakfast, and looks to
Momo's room, the door closed.

"I've never seen Momo sleep this late. She's usually the first one
up."

"I think it's this whole thing with Rei. As long as I've known him,
he's always been one to hold anger for long terms." Ryu scratches the back
of his head, his blue hair a mess.
Just then, Momo comes out, having not had a good night. Her hair was a
mess, unkept and frizzy. Her mind had been racing the whole night. Even
though Rei's actions were a plus to a point, she still feels the emptyness
of him not being there. She would kill for Rei to say some smart ass remark
about her morning hair right now, just as long as he was there.

Nina winces some. "Oh Momo, you look horrible. Are you gonna be okay?"

She sighs, still groggy. "I'll be okay. I'm gonna go shower now." She
walks into the bathroom, and closes the door. After a few minutes, she walks
back out and to her room. "It'd be nice if I got something to wear after."
After getting her normal attire, she goes back to the bathroom, and closes
the door again.

Nina looks on, concerned. "Ryu, she's really taking this hard." She
thinks for a minute. "I'll take her to the new stores in Wyndia. Hopefully,
it'll cheer her up a little."

He smiles, leans forward and kisses her on her lips. She is soon to
return the kiss. "Have fun."

Smiling back. "We will." She goes to her room, and get's her clothes
ready for when Momo get's out the the shower.
 
 

After about 10 minutes, the shower cuts off. Nina wait's a few minutes
before speaking. "Momo?"

Momo opens the door, a towel wrapped around her. "Yes, what do you
need?"

She smiles. "Put on some summer clothes, we're going shopping."

A small smile comes to her face, and she then takes her clothes, and
goes to her room. "I'll be right out." She closes the door, and Nina enters
the bathroom, and takes her shower.

When the shower cuts off the second time, Momo exits her room, wearing
a green shirt tucked in, a pair of short shorts, exposing her long legs, and
she was wearing her sandals. Her hair wasn't in her usual double braid. She
had only one braid today. The whole idea of going shopping had helped clear
her mind of yesterdays events.

Nina soon came out, fully dressed, wearing her red dress and matching
boots, her usual attire. She looks Momo over. "Wow, I didn't know you had
stuff like this."

She smirks. "I may be all intellegent, and spiffy most of the time,
but there is nothing more I enjoy than a good day of shopping."

Nina smiles, enjoying how Momo's attitude changed today. Nina gets her
purse, while Momo gets her wallet. "You don't have a purse?"

"Nope, never much had a need for one." She shrugs.

"Well, we'll just have to go get you one, hmm?" They both smile, and
head out for Wyndia.
 
 

They walk was considerably long, about an hour. Momo figured it was
twice the distance from home to the Plant. When they both arrived they
plopped down in the soda shop, and quenched a burning thirst within both of
them.

"I'm so glad Daddy.... I mean, the King decided to put in new stores.
It's attracted so many new people. I wonder how he was allowed to even
consider it, knowing the Queen." Said Nina, finishing her soda.

Momo notes how she speaks about her parents, almost as if they aren't.
"You don't call them mom or dad anymore?"

She frowns, her colorful wings droop a bit. "Well, after mother
disowned me... I felt good about it in a way, and horrible in another. I
mean, I was free from royal restriction. I could finally go out and be free,
be the Nina I want to be and am. Plus, I can also be with Ryu all the time
and not worry about what anyone will say. But on the other hand, I miss them
all so much. Even Hachio. He used to always cook me whatever I wanted if I
didn't like dinner. He was like a big brother almost. Mom threw a fit when
she found out I was, "Conversing with the help", is the phrase she used."

"I understand. When my dad died I felt alone, but I usually forgot
about all of it, when I tried to fix things, and do my experiments with
Chrysm." She smiles. "Then you and Ryu came in. You were so cute. How old
were you then?"

"Ryu was ten, and I was nine. I almost forgot about that. He was so
strong for a kid, but so was I. How old were you Momo?"

"Me? I was only fourteen at the time. I was always an early sprouter.
I was as tall as my dad around the time he died."

They continue their talking, and get up to look around in the new
shopping area of Wyndia. They searched Store after store, clothes,
accesories, jewelry, just a typical girls day at the mall, sort of. Their
laughing, and fun was cut short at the sight of someone, which Momo was
first to catch.... Rei.

"Rei...." She began to stare at him, wonder why he was here. Could he
have moved to Wyndia?

Nina looked between Momo and Rei. Rei soon exited the hardware store,
where he was purchasing housing material. He never did look around as he
left, he just left, carring a bag with a hammer, and nails. His face was
similar to what Momo's what becoming, a look of sadness.

"Rei... Rei." She begins to go after him, but Nina holds her back.

"Momo, no. Not here, and not now." Momo stopped struggling as soon as
she was restrained.

"Rei..." She looked to Nina, tears dripping from her chin. "I think I
need to sit down now." She walked back to the soda shop, and sat down, Nina
close behind. They sat im silence for a long time. Finally Nina broke the
silence.

"Momo, you must be head over heels for him." She offers a small smile.

"Ever since the time you got sick, I noted a change in him. Like, he
opened up all the hate and sorrow he held, and it flew away. After that, he
became friendlier, expecially to me. When we fought, he'd always be closer
to me than needed.... like he was protecting me. Plus...." Momo blushes a
bright red. "He's got a great body."

"Momo!" Nina laughed, and that sparked a laugh from Momo as well. "You
truly do love him, don't you?"

At that time two men approach them, Nina offers a small smile, while
Momo shrugs them off. "Mind if we join, y'all?"

Momo's response was a cold one. "No. Why don't you just go away." Nina
gave a look which said the same thing.

They both laughed, and focused their attention on Momo. "You're fiesty
aint'cha? I love fiesty."

"If you don't go the hell away, I split your throght open." She began
to get considerably upset, she didn't need this right now.

The man sitting next to her, put his arm over her shoulder. "C'mon
don' be like that. Just relax." He leans in to kiss her, and grab ahold of
her breasts. without hesitation, she elbowed the guy standing in his groin,
and tackled the other guy, pulling a small knife and holding it to hs neck.

"Listen to me you damn pervert, I can and will kill you right here,
right now, in front of everyone here. The only thing keeping me from doing
that, is the fact, I want you to live with this for the rest of your life."
Reached down, and slices the pants of the man right between the legs, just
cutting the pants, and not him. He scurried up, and both men ran off
terrified.

Nina looks on in surprise, she didn't think Momo had it in her. "Where
did you get that knife?"

"This?" Puts it away. "Rei gave it to me for Christmas. I told him I
didn't want it, cause I don't like knives. He told me to read the
inscription, and it said, 'To Momo, the greatest woman I know'. It took me
every ounce of willpower I had to keep from kissing him then."

Nina only smiles. "Go... go after him. He has no idea what he's
missing out on. Go.... go get the man you love."

"Now? Just leave you here?"

"I know my way around. I used to live here ya know? Good luck." With
that Nina recieved a hug and Momo was off running home.

"Rei..." Nina looks up at the sky. "If you have any common sense,
you'll do the right thing." Nina sits down, and orders a soda. "You go
girl."