Kyoko belongs to the wonderful Arina Tanemura-sensei, not me. It is
also, I think, part of Ribon comics. No copyright infringement is
intended. This fanfic, however, is mine and wholly mine. Please do
not post this anywhere else without permission.

For lack of a better way to name people who didn't have character
profiles in the manga, names here are very inaccurate. But you can
probably tell who i'm talking about most of the time. Gomen gomen.

TEARS I CRIED
A Time Stranger Kyoko Fanfic
by Amy

Being married certainly had its advantages. Such as having Sakataki
worshipping the ground your feet walk across. Fine, so he doesn't
worship the ground your feet walk across. But it doesn't hurt to
dream, does it? But being married was everything you ever wanted.
That is, what with your brother-in-law being stalked by your still
childish sister and your best friend coughing up flowers everywhere.
Just for decoration, she said.

Not that you mind the flowers. They were nice. It felt so nice to
be able to rest at last with your friends and family. And your
beloved. Even though you knew that one day you would have to depart
again, you were happy for now with what you have.

But you can't help thinking what it would be like to be able to grow
old and be with Sakataki forever. Of course, no one was going to
look old anytime soon. Heck, your _father_ still looks twenty years
old. But your heart would grow old one day. And one day it will
feel old. Yet, you still had responsibilities. One day you will
have to leave this body-your mother's body-and become just a
spirit again. You will take up the responsibilities of Kyoko, the
Goddess of Time.

You will have to live without all these people around you. These
people who have loved you endlessly for so long. But that was
someday. And hopefully, that someday is far away from today. That
someday was when you grow up.

You promised your father you would grow up. And you will. "What,
exactly then, is growing up, then?" you ask yourself. You didn't
have the answer to it. But you will certainly live and learn,
trying your very very best to grow up. But meanwhile, it couldn't
hurt to be happy and have a little fun along the way too.

Yes. You were happy with Sakataki. You really love him. It was
really a shame that you didn't tell him sooner. You could've had so
much more time together. Time was precious to you. You, knowing
you'd have a long time to go without him near you. But that's okay.
It's now that counts. The tears that you cried for him when he had
forgotten you did not go to waste. The grateful tears you cried when
you thought you were going to lose him...

The first kiss you bestowed upon him, like the goddess you are...

Yes. It was wistful and heart-wrenching, but that tingle of air
that passed for a kiss felt so beautiful. So perhaps losing him for
that short time wasn't so bad after all. You were together now.
And it wouldn't do to think about such sad things. Growing up was
waiting for you. And, although those tears you cried will never be
forgotten, they could be set aside for now, while you spend the rest
of your mortal life with you friends. And most of all, Sakataki.

So for now, you are happy with playing tricks on Sakataki and being
with your friends and family. Laughing, running, playing, and even
crying joyfully sometimes. But those were different from the tears
you cried at that time. It was a happy happy time now. And
meanwhile, you think that it couldn't hurt to do something evil to
Sakataki again.

-Owari-