_Viva Forever: The Life of Yoko Hattori_

|| Authors Note: The lyrics here (in bold) are from the song Viva Forever by the Spice Girls. It's one of my favorite songs and related to my roleplay character Ebony so well. This is her past life told in a story from her past lover Kashi Ichiguri. What's in italics is the story he's writing. It's kinda sad.. :/ ||

There was a lone shadow there, bleeding across the white washed walls, a smell of sadness and angst hanging about in the room. It was never like this until the day she had died, his pride and joy, his sunlight on the rainy days. She was so upbeat, held everything he could ever desire all in one beautiful and gracious package.

But she had died.

The memory would never vanish from his mind. Kashi Ichiguri had no choice but to remember her whenever he passed a flower, whenever he saw the sun beaming across the sky and darkened room. It seemed that everything reminded him of his dear Yoko. There was no escaping it; it wanted him to suffer, even though he couldn't do anything to prevent her death. That was probably the reason why the shadows and angst haunted his soul so. They go away hard, but they go away. It takes time... and time wasn't of the essence. Still, day after day, Kashi would return to this room, the room he had last held his lover so longingly in his arms. This is where she had passed away, on the very elegantly draped canopy bed, laid with ebony and silver sheets.

Do you still remember

How we used to be

Feeling together, believe in whatever

My love has said to me

He sighed, pulled the cherry wood chair from underneath a desk. The typewriter was old... there was no doubt about it. It wasn't until only recent that he had decided to write this story about the times he had shared with his Yoko. Kashi had always been the writer in the household. The typewriter was a present to him for his 20th birthday. It was pretty old when Yoko had given it to him, but it was his pride and joy; just not topping his number one favorite. There was a single paper lying next to it on the desk... it was the story he had started only recent. It wasn't met to be long, but to show the essence of his love. Yoko had always loved the simple things in life, and so Kashi sent it to be simple.

Sighing slightly, he slumped into the chair and picked up the paper.

I was sitting there.. staring across the darkness up to the stars. They were so beautiful and I thought that nothing was ever made to be beautiful. But that was before I met her. She stood just across the walkway, long black hair down to her knees. She was wrapped in the most beautiful kimono I had ever saw and was just staring solemnly at the stars. When she somehow noticed I had been watching, she turned and offered a smile to me. A light blush came over my face, I could tell. That smile was just one to make you fall in love instantly. I wish the moment wouldn't end... and it didn't.

She approached me, elegantly placing her feet on the cold cement walkway. The clicking of her sandals on the pavement echoed in my mind and soul, my own self being to overwhelmed to greet her. Her smile radiated the sun itself, happiness and curiosity painted all over her light face. She waved a hand and spoke. It was like Heaven speaking to me..

"Hello sir. You seem sad. What is it that ails you?"

I couldn't find words, only shrugged. She giggled a bit and sat on the fountain lip next to me. Her presence was just... what I always had dreamed of. Today was the day I graduated from college. Finally.. freedom was mine. But she was the missing link. I just knew it...

"Well, that's good. I'm Yoko Hattori. May I ask who you might be?"

"K-Kashi Ichiguri. A p-pleasure."

Fool.

She smiled still, laughed a bit. I must have amused her.. either that or she gets the same reaction from everyone. With her hand, she stroked a few stray locks of pure ebony hair behind her ear. I could see her ice blue eyes peering from the darkness, the moon casting a beautiful shadow over her. She held her hand out, I took it, and shook it slowly; carefully. She seemed so fragile, I was afraid I'd break her...

That was all he wrote previous day. Kashi took a moment to lean back, stare out at the same moon he had seen the day they met. It was so pleasing to reminisce, remember his dreams, remember hers. He loved it.. but Kashi tried to avoid the depressing ones. The ones he had experienced after her presence was torn from his eyes. The haunting had leaked into his dreams and often deprived him of sleep. He was too scared.

Both of us were dreamers

Young love in the sun

Felt like my savior, my spirit I gave ya

We'd only just begun

Mumbling to himself, Kashi took a deep breath and continued to write his story. Maybe this would connect him with the better times. Maybe others could learn the pain he had experience among her death. There were just some times he felt like he had died right along with her. It was too much. It was rather annoying to him. He couldn't grasp the ledge of life, just felt like he kept falling. Falling. All he ever did...

She pulled back her hand, gingerly laid them in her lap. Tilting her head towards the stars, she resumed watching them. I was soon to find out they were one of the things that kept her happy. I managed a weak smile. I was still suffering from her shock.. never had I seen something so beautiful. Letting one of my legs dangle from the fountain, I watched a guy approach us. Yoko smiled at him, and stood, hugging him.

I was shattered.

He blushed himself and shakily held out a rabbit with a huge red bow on it. Yoko seemed to melt. She reached out, plucked it from his hands and stroked it lovingly. She beamed up at him, and spoke softly.

"Thanks Eiji. It's so kawaii!"

"It.. it was the most.. cut-cutest one in the shop."

"I will treasure it!"

She set the rabbit on my head and hugged the one she called Eiji tightly. He blushed deeper and seemed to love the hug. When she let go, he lingered a bit, watched me, narrowed his eyes and walked off. There was a sting in my heart right then. Who exactly was that guy? I took the rabbit off my head... stared into its pink eyes. Its nose twitched a bit, ears flopping downward. It was cute...

Yoko grinned, sitting back down. She took the rabbit out of my hands and hugged it to her chest softly. I could tell by her expression that she loved it more than anything. I sighed silently and turned away. I could tell she instantly became concerned. I heard her voice behind me.

"You alright..?"

"Fine."

Whoops. I lied.

(( To be continued... ))