Author’s notes: Hello minna-san! ^-^ This is the first story I’ve

 written since I’ve moved. I’ve been having a hard time handling

 things, so this has helped me to focus some of that energy. I wrote

 most of this on three separate nights. It’s my second Saint Tail

 story and hopefully it won’t be my last. ^-^ I would love to hear any

 comments, so if you feel up to e-mailing, I would appreciate it. ^-^

 This is an alternate end for Saint Tail, so I know it doesn’t fit

 exactly with the end of the series. Oh, and Meimi originally had

 glasses in the manga. Megumi Tachikawa said that she was farsighted

 and only used them for school but she stopped drawing Meimi in them

 because she didn’t have her in class much. I thought this was cute,

 so I wanted to add it. ^-^ Anyway, thank you so much for reading! ^-^

 

 

 

 Can’t Say Goodbye to Yesterday

 by Amazoness Duo

 amazonessduo@hotmail.com

 

 

 	‘The church is really beautiful,’ Meimi thought to herself as the

 large structure came into view. A small smile crossed her lips as she

 hugged her sweater to herself. ‘I’ve been here hundreds of times, but

 I never really noticed just how beautiful it really is. But Seira

 always noticed. She spent even more time here than I did.’ With the

 changing direction in her line of thought, the brunette’s smile

 faded. Sighing, she paused in front of the large, ornate doors. Her

 heart plummeted as her mind drifted back to a conversation she had

 had with Seira earlier. 

 	Meimi was now fifteen. Though not the best of students, with

 Seira’s help, she had passed rather well through her high school

 entrance exams. Finally having such a huge weight lifted from her

 shoulders, Meimi had been exhilarated at the newfound freedom. But

 her excitement was short-lived. When she had asked Seira about what

 the Catholic high school was like that they would be going to, Seira

 had told her she would find out for her. Then she had struck Meimi a

 blow that she was still reeling from. Seira wouldn’t be joining her

 at the high school. She was going to Rome with one of the older

 Sisters, presumably to prepare for entering the convent in a few

 years. Something that Meimi had thought was years away was now

 painfully close. 

 	There wasn’t a time that Meimi could remember not having her gentle

 best friend near. Seira was always there to help her through things,

 always there to listen to her heart. The Sister-in-training made a

 wonderful listener and she had granted Meimi a wonderful confidante.

 Seira had been willing to do anything for her, from pretending to be

 Meimi to protect her identity to running around dressed like a snow

 girl. She had always been infinitely loyal to Meimi, always ready to

 help her. But now Meimi was facing the thought of losing Seira and it

 drove splinters through her heart. ‘Why God? Why are you taking her

 away from me? I know you need her. But so do I...’ Meimi prayed

 silently. The thought of losing her best friend sent shivers through

 her. It felt like a large piece of her life was about to fade away,

 something more important than a limb. She could already feel that

 something was missing even though Seira wouldn’t be leaving for at

 least another month. But that month hung over Meimi like a death

 shroud. Despite Seira’s warm smile when she had come to greet her at

 lunch, Meimi had only barely suppressed tears before running away

 from her friend. How was she supposed to pretend that nothing was

 wrong when Seira would be leaving so soon? How could she live through

 the month when Seira would be gone by its end? 

 	So here she was. The brunette thief had called Seira shortly after

 getting home. She needed to speak with Seira as quickly as possible.

 She didn’t know how, but she had to find some way to convince Seira

 to stay. There had to be something she could do. Maybe God wanted

 Seira for whatever His plans may be. But if that was the case, the

 Saint Tail would have to steal her away. She hoped He would

 understand. He would have to. He had placed Seira in her life, after

 all. He had to know how important she was to Meimi. 

 	Steeling her resolve, Meimi entered the church. Her fists clenched

 in determination, the brunette girl glanced about for the one

 troubling her thoughts. Seira had insisted they meet on the church,

 something that seemed only fitting after how often they had met

 there. Trailing her fingers over the edges of the pews, Meimi made

 her way towards the altar. “Forgive me, Lord, for I am without

 deceit,” Meimi whispered to herself. 

 	“I hope you aren’t planning on going out as Saint Tail tonight. I’m

 afraid there’s nothing to steal.” Seira’s words brought Meimi’s

 attention to her immediately. The young Sister-in-training smiled

 sweetly, dressed in her all white habit. Standing up from the front

 Pew, she rested her hands together in front of her. She had been

 praying for hours, having come to the church as soon as school had

 ended. One of the nuns had to come get her when Meimi had called for

 her. She felt her heart swell to see the mysterious thief once more.

 Despite her best efforts, Meimi was never far from her mind. 

 	Spotting Seira near the front, Meimi offered a small smile of her

 own. “Everyone always comes to you to pray when they need Saint

 Tail’s help. But this time, I think Saint Tail is the one who needs

 help.” Her smile faltered as Seira slowly eliminated the distance

 between them. Her vision blurred as tears once again threatened to

 ruin her composure. She averted her gaze quickly, hoping that her

 friend wouldn’t notice. 

 	“You’re always welcome in the Lord’s home, Meimi-chan. You know

 that. Everyone can come pray here. Even Saint Tail.” Seira felt an

 icy chill overtake her as she saw just how close to tears the

 brunette thief was. She took Meimi’s hand and led the semi-startled

 girl over to the pew near the front that she had been using. Sitting

 down, she motioned for Meimi to join her. It hurt her to see Meimi in

 such pain. Which is why she had put off telling her for so long. In

 retrospect, she had to wonder if that had been a wise decision. Maybe

 if Meimi had known longer, it wouldn’t hurt so much now. But that was

 all in the past. All she could do for now was try to help as well as

 she could. “What’s wrong, Meimi-chan?” she asked worriedly. She knew

 the problem well enough. It had been troubling her for quite some

 time. If only she knew how to solve in better. 

 	Meimi took a deep breath, staring straight ahead. Why was this so

 difficult? Because Seira had never been leaving before. This had

 never been a problem for her. But now she felt off balance, unsure.

 “Seira-chan... Are you sure this is what you want to do? Go into the

 convent, I mean. Is that really what you want to do with your life?” 

 	“Of course, I do, Meimi-chan. I can’t think of a better path in

 this life than one that serves the Lord. And how better to repay the

 nuns here? They raised me, a poor orphan girl left on their doorstep.

 No one forced them to. No one made them. I want to repay them for

 that. For all of the happiness in my life. I owe so much to them. I

 believe it’s my path in life,” Seira explained, watching the

 brunette. This was something that she had decided long ago, but never

 before had she had to explain it to her best friend. Meimi had simply

 accepted it before now. But now, Meimi appeared to be having her

 doubts. Of course, Seira had other reasons as well, but ones that

 were a little more difficult to go into. 

 	“But...” Meimi began, her voice breaking. She took another breath

 before continuing. “But what about falling in love? What about

 finding your special someone, of spending your life forever with him?

 I can’t imagine God denying you that.” She knew she was grasping at

 straws now, but she had to try. She couldn’t imagine Seira alone

 forever, never falling in love. Why would God wish such a lonely life

 for his diligent servant? It didn’t make any sense. Seira deserved to

 have that. And Meimi wanted her to stay, so they could find it

 together. 

 	Seira paused for a moment, studying the teary eyed thief. After a

 long silence, she answered, looking to the altar. “I’ve already

 fallen in love, Meimi-chan. I fell in love a long time ago. God

 didn’t deny me that. And I’ll forever thank Him for allowing me to

 fall in love with such a wonderful person. That’s one of the many

 reasons why I want to repay him by becoming a Sister.” 

 	Watching Seira quietly, Meimi was astounded by how radiant she

 looked. Whether it was because she was speaking of God or the one she

 loved, Meimi couldn’t tell for sure. Whatever the case, Seira was

 practically glowing. It wasn’t fair. Seira deserved to be happy. To

 be loved. To be nearby. Meimi had always thought it would be fine

 when Seira one day became a Sister, thinking she would simply become

 one nearby. In her mind, it didn’t feel like anything would change.

 But now, it felt too horrible to think of Seira all alone and far

 away. The thought that Seira was in love only made that worse.

 “You’re in love? Seira-chan, you never told me. You’ve always been

 there to listen to me, but I guess I wasn't very good at listening

 when you needed me. I’m sorry.” Meimi hung her head guiltily. She was

 usually so much better at handling things, even if she could have a

 fiery temper, but at the moment she was completely lost. How often

 had Seira been there for her? How often had Seira saved her in one

 sense or another? Without magic and without athletics, Seira had

 always been there to save Meimi when everything was out of control.

 She would always think of something to help her, even when her secret

 identity was at stake. Seira had been her guardian angel. No one knew

 her better than the Sister-in-training. Seira didn’t know the newest

 trends or the hottest bands, but she knew everything about Meimi

 herself. Yet Meimi had failed her. She had had no idea of Seira’s own

 love. A hand on her shoulder brought her back to the present. She

 slowly looked up into Seira’s understanding blue-gray eyes. 

 	“Meimi-chan, please don’t blame yourself. I never told you because

 I didn’t want you to know. It wouldn’t change things right now even

 if you did. I couldn’t get with this person no matter how much I

 would want to. I’ve already decided what I’m going to do with my

 life.” 

 	“You didn’t want me to know? But why not? I’m your best friend. I

 just thought there wasn’t anyone you liked.” Meimi’s mind started

 sifting through everything, hoping for some clue to unravel Seira’s

 love’s mystery identity. Part of her was hoping it would be the key

 to keeping Seira from leaving. If she could only find out and somehow

 fix things, then maybe Seira would change her mind. Determination

 began to well up inside of her, burning throughout her body. Saint

 Tail had helped countless people before. Now she would save the most

 selfless and loving person she could think of. Somehow.

 Unfortunately, whenever Saint Tail was off to solve things, Seira was

 there to provide her with the information she needed to know. This

 time she had no such luck. It left her wondering how she could manage

 without her best friend. Would Seira leaving mean the end of Saint

 Tail as well? She quickly shook off the thought. She couldn’t quit

 being Saint Tail anymore than she could quit being Meimi. They were

 like two different people, but they were both parts of her. ‘I can’t

 do this without you,’ Meimi thought desperately. ‘But I have to try.’

 Thinking quickly, her mind latched onto the first possibility. “Is it

 Sawatari-kun? He does seem to like you. And he is pretty cool,” Meimi

 conceded, watching Seira for any reaction. To her surprise, the young

 Sister began to laugh. Meimi sweatdropped. “And you always laugh when

 he hits on you.”

 	Giggling, Seira nodded, covering her mouth primly. “That’s because

 it’s funny. I think it’s silly that he would go to the trouble.

 Everyone knows I’m going to become a nun. Besides, I love someone

 else. So I couldn’t fall for his ‘charms’ even if I wasn’t going to.”

 Another giggle escaped the dark haired girl’s lips as she watched the

 quizzical look that Meimi gave her. She had always been amused that

 Sawatari would shower any attention on her. It was something that

 other girls didn’t understand. They would all kill for his attention.

 That he would choose her out of everyone couldn’t help but make her

 laugh. She wouldn’t be getting with anyone anyway. There was only one

 person that she would want at all and it certainly wasn’t him.

 	Meimi could only stare for a long moment, unsure of how to

 continue. Well, it obviously wasn’t Sawatari. But who did that leave?

 Seira was kind and sweet to everyone. But even then, there weren’t

 any boys that stood out. Plenty came to her to pray and to confess

 things, but none really knew her all that well. And Seira didn’t seem

 to mind. There weren’t any boys that came to mind. Unless... Meimi’s

 eyes went wide as a thought struck her. “It isn’t a boy, is it, Seira-

 chan?” Her heart began to pound quicker in her chest as she waited

 anxiously. Just how much had she missed about her best friend? How

 much had she let go unnoticed? What if it was a girl? Who?

 	A look of surprise crossed Seira’s features for a moment. She

 hadn’t quite expected Meimi to ask anything like that. The dark

 haired girl had been inclined to leave it off with there simply being

 someone she was in love with. But though Meimi could be... moody, she

 certainly wasn’t naïve. Slowly, she found herself nodding. She

 couldn’t bring herself to lie about it, especially to Meimi. “Hai,

 it’s a girl,” Seira said quietly, almost reluctantly. She couldn’t

 bring herself to meet Meimi’s questing gaze. Her cheeks darkened

 slightly in embarrassment and frustration. What was she supposed to

 say if Meimi asked her? What could she do? She didn’t have to tell

 her who it was. She could refuse to answer. But after all they had

 been through together, could she really do that to Meimi? Didn’t

 Meimi deserve to know? She would be leaving soon enough anyway. It

 wouldn’t be able to cause much harm. 

 	“Is that why you’re leaving? Is that why you want to be a nun?”

 Meimi asked quickly, staring intently at the white clad girl next to

 her. Things slowly began to make more sense to the mysterious thief.

 That was why Seira was never interested in any of the boys, why she

 was never interested in dating. Seira had been raised by the Sisters,

 so of course she didn’t think she could be with a girl. That was why

 she was intent on becoming a nun, remaining celibate. 

 	Seira shook her head, clasping her gloved hands in front of her.

 Only her face was visible in the long white dress. “No, that’s not

 it.” She paused to consider for a moment. “That’s not all of it, at

 least. Like I said before, I want to for the Lord. I want to pay back

 the Sisters who raised me. And yes, because I’m in love with another

 girl. I can’t be with her. And I won’t love anyone else. Anyone

 besides Him. So I’ll be His willing servant.” Falling in love with

 Meimi had only fortified Seira’s decision to become a Sister. She had

 tasted love in all of its bittersweet glory. She had that and always

 would. But it only helped her to realize where her path in life lay.

 She couldn’t be with Meimi. She understood that. So there was nothing

 to keep her from a life devoted to God. 

 	Meimi’s head spun, her only real argument, that of Seira falling in

 love, having faltered. Her spirits dwindled as she thought of life

 without her guardian angel, of a life apart from her best friend. No.

 There had to be something she could do. This couldn’t be it. She was

 Saint Tail. She could fix this. She always gave people their happy

 ending. Why couldn’t she have hers? “But maybe she could likes you

 to. Or maybe she would if she only knew. Seira-chan, it can’t be a

 sin for you to fall in love.”

 	“And I don’t think it is. The Lord allowed me to fall in love with

 a girl that fills my heart with joy. And I’m ever grateful for that.

 But she’s out of my reach. Like a star in the sky, I can watch her

 and love her, but I can’t have her no matter how my heart wishes

 otherwise.” Seira smiled a little sadly at the brunette, suddenly

 feeling very lonely in the large and empty church. Meimi was right

 next to her, but it might as well have been thousands of miles away.

 Like the face of God, some things were simply out of one’s reach. She

 fought back the urge to cry herself. Swallowing back a lump in her

 throat, she managed to hold the smile for a bit longer. Meimi was so

 beautiful, so wonderful. If only love wasn’t such a double edged

 sword. Her heart sang for the brunette, relishing in her company and

 in the adoring thoughts she had of Meimi. But her heart also ached

 terribly from the burden of that love. But she would suffer through

 it as best she could. “Besides, you’re already in love with Asuka

 Jr,” she finished. 

 	“I am NOT in love with...” Meimi trailed off, Seira’s words ringing

 in her ears. Her mouth opened and closed in a futile attempt to

 continue. “Me?” she got out weakly, shock overtaking her. It felt

 like an eternity before Seira replied with a small nod. Meimi

 suddenly felt as if she were being tossed around on an unfriendly

 sea, dipping below the treacherous waves that tried to drown her. How

 could she be the one that Seira loved? How could she be the girl that

 lay in Seira’s beautiful heart? But in many ways, it made sense.

 Seira had always been willing to do anything for her, had always been

 the there for her throughout it all. She had been the one to convince

 Meimi to be Kaitou Saint Tail in the first place. She was the one who

 was always seemed to matter the most to Seira, the one who Seira

 always prayed for. Meimi clung to this newfound revelation as a life

 raft, trying to stay afloat in her own sea of turmoil. “I’m not in

 love with Asuka Jr.,” she stated again, more quietly this time. “I

 hate him.” This was safer territory. She knew how to handle this.

 They had spoken about it before. It was much easier for her to handle

 than the uncharted territory of Seira’s feelings for her.

 	Seira contemplated Meimi’s words for a moment, a small smile on her

 lips. “Sometimes I think that you and Saint Tail are two completely

 different people. You hate Asuka Jr., but she loves him. Or maybe she

 just loves the chase,” the Sister-in-training said thoughtfully. She

 had said it. At last. She had finally told Meimi how she felt about

 her, albeit in an indirect fashion. But at least she had. She had

 almost decided against it when she had realized how soon she would be

 leaving. But this was for the best. She wouldn’t have a chance to

 ruin things. And at least Meimi would know before she left. Meimi

 would understand how important she was to Seira. 

 	“I don’t...” Meimi struggled for words, unsure of what to say. Her

 mind swirled about in one direction and another. “He’s such an idiot.

 When I’m Meimi, we argue a lot and he really gets on my nerves. But

 when I’m Saint Tail, I can’t wait for him to catch me. I keep

 wondering when it will be. It’s like this fascinating game. I love

 how he pays so much attention to Saint Tail. She’s his singleminded

 obsession. I like how that feels when I’m her,” Meimi conceded at

 last. It wasn’t something she thought about often. It was more of a

 feeling than anything else. But it was so different when she was

 Meimi and when she was Saint Tail. How could she have such

 conflicting emotions? 

 	Nodding thoughtfully, Seira watched her friend. “That’s what I

 thought. It does sound like you’re two different people. She thinks

 one way and you think another. But I noticed that a long time ago.

 She gives you a chance to be something different, to be something

 special. She lets you get the spotlight. You’re more confident as

 her, as well. And everyone else seemed to notice her, especially

 Asuka Jr. But what no one else saw, what you didn’t see, was that

 Meimi-chan is special. That she’s more amazing than a thousand Saint

 Tails. Everyone loves a good mystery. But what happens when the

 mystery is gone, when the riddle’s been solved? What more does it

 hold? That’s why I always simply thought of Saint Tail as you. As

 Meimi in a cute magician’s outfit. But everyone else, even you, think

 of her as something completely different, as a mysterious puzzle.”

 Seira smiled softly, tilting her head to the side as she studied

 Meimi. Her heart felt warm and fuzzy, her love surrounding herself

 like a blanket. “I always thought you were perfect the way you are

 Meimi. You don’t need to be mysterious. You don’t need to be

 something more than you are. It was always enough for you to be you.

 At least, I thought so. I always thought it was strange how Asuka Jr.

 could chase Saint Tail so passionately and yet be so cold to you.

 You’re more amazing than Saint Tail could ever hope to be, Meimi-

 chan.” It was nice to be able to tell Meimi these things, to be able

 to say them out loud for once. It relaxed a burden on her soul. Yes,

 she would be gone soon. But at least she would have no regrets. “I’ve

 loved you for the longest time.”

 	Meimi blushed deeply as her own blue eyes met Seira’s. She was left

 at a loss for what to say. She had to admit that it felt nice to know

 that someone thought that way about her as Meimi, but Seira? It was

 so bizarre. She wanted to say something, to make sense of the moment,

 but coherent thought eluded her. No reply seemed adequate enough to

 express her feelings. Words couldn’t begin to explain the swirl of

 emotions that frenzied throughout her soul. The beautiful Sister-in-

 training before her would soon be gone, leaving a void in her life

 that she couldn’t replace. How was she supposed to go on without

 Seira? How could she push forward without the dark haired girl’s ever-

 present companionship and support? It would be like being lost in the

 desert without any food or water. It would be like finding no shelter

 in the midst of a storm. She would be lost without Seira’s inner

 light to guide herself by. When the game was all over and done with,

 what would become of Asuka Jr. and herself? He loved Saint Tail,

 after all. And she loved the chase. What then? Could she even be

 Saint Tail without Sister Seira to help her see things through? Would

 it even be worth it? When all was said and done, it was Seira that

 she needed, that Meimi needed. The game was wonderful, while it

 lasted. But one day there would be no time for games. And she would

 have to grow up. This wasn’t about Saint Tail, Meimi suddenly

 realized. This was about herself. It didn’t matter what Saint Tail

 thought or how she felt about whom. This was about Meimi and where

 her own heart lay. But where exactly was that?

 	Seira stood up slowly, smoothing down her long white skirt. She

 offered a weak smile to her friend. She still didn’t know what to

 think about Meimi’s reaction. She tried to tell herself that it

 didn’t matter, that she would be leaving soon anyway. But she wanted

 Meimi to have good memories of her. She wanted Meimi to remember her

 fondly, not with concern. “I have to get to sleep, Meimi-chan. You

 probably should, too. Otherwise your parents might wonder why you’re

 so sleepy tomorrow morning.” Her back was to Meimi now, her hands

 once again clasped in front of her. ‘Please, Lord, please don’t let

 me cry. Not now. Please let me last until she’s gone. Just until

 then. Please...’ she prayed quietly. The dark haired girl had trouble

 focussing, feeling the anguish in her heart cascading throughout her.

 She didn’t want to leave Meimi, even if it was necessary. Her heart

 couldn’t handle the strain. 

 	Seira was a good girl. She never lied, cheated, or stole from

 anyone. Sometimes she would bend things, but only if she believed

 they were for the best, for God. She didn’t get into trouble and

 helped whoever she could. Yet this Sister-in-training had fallen in

 love with a thief. Love was cruel, the sweetest torture that God

 could ever have conjured up. And it was one that left Seira weak and

 confused.

 	Hands slowly turned Seira around from where she stood. The dark

 haired girl was too weak to stop it and too lost in thought to have

 seen it coming. Her clasped hands were soon taken by Meimi’s. She

 looked at Meimi silently for a long moment. Meimi slowly brushed her

 tears away with her fingertips. The two simply stood in an odd moment

 of tranquility. And then, the mysterious thief stole a kiss. It took

 Seira by surprise, her heart both unsure and enraptured at the same

 time. She could feel Meimi’s deliciously soft lips against her own,

 leaving her breathless with a soft and intoxicating kiss. Seira could

 only watch for a moment in silence. She wanted to thank Meimi, to ask

 her why, to kiss her again, to do anything at all. But all she could

 do was cry. Meimi held onto her as Seira collapsed to her knees. The

 mysterious thief held her close as she cried. Seira could only lay

 against Meimi, her heart torn apart, sobbing. 

 	

 	‘The church is really beautiful,’ Meimi thought to herself as she

 entered the silent building. Sunlight spilled through stained glass,

 painting the ground near the altar in a torrent of colors. Kneeling

 in the midst of this shining rainbow was a girl clad simply in white.

 A smile crossed the mysterious thief’s lips as she crept ever closer,

 being very careful not to make a noise. ‘It is beautiful, but not as

 beautiful as Seira.’ To Meimi’s delight, Seira remained deep in

 prayer as she approached. Being the daughter of a magician and a

 thief, the auburn haired girl could appreciate the element of

 surprise in things. Especially when it was offered so easily to her.

 And what made a better surprise than surprising the one you love?

 	“Hello, Meimi-chan,” Seira called out, not bothering to open her

 eyes.

 	Meimi stopped short, just a foot behind the kneeling Sister-in-

 training. Unfortunately, she hadn’t remembered one of the most

 important credos of any magician, things are not always as they seem.

 “Seira... How did you know it was me?” 

 	Performing the Sign of the Cross, the young nun rose, a smile on

 her lips. “I always know when it’s you,” she stated simply. Truth be

 told, she had been waiting for her friend’s arrival. She had known it

 would only be a matter of time before Meimi came to see her. But as

 always, Meimi’s presence sent her heart aflutter. It was so strange

 for Seira when she would see Meimi at the church, her refuge, her

 asylum. The church offered Seira the chance to commune with God, to

 feel at peace with the world and it’s inhabitants. It was her most

 treasured place. She could spend hours there, deep in prayer or

 simply lost in thought. It was such a lovely place and it still held

 the awe that had lured Seira to it as a very young child. It gave her

 such a calm, safe feeling when she was there. Meimi, on the other

 hand, gave Seira a very different feeling. Seira had been the auburn

 haired girl’s best friend for quite some time, and in all that time

 she had always found herself amazed by the athletic young magician.

 There was something about Meimi that spun her around and left her

 breathless. It was something she had struggled to understand while

 their friendship grew. But even before she had requested Meimi to

 grant people God’s protection as Saint Tail, she had known that she

 was in love with the other girl. Watching the beautiful auburn haired

 girl work her magic spun silk strands around Seira’s heart, holding

 it captive. Having Meimi in her refuge, standing so nearby in this

 have on God, it always left her feeling nearly overwhelmed. The best

 of Heaven and of Earth. 

 	Meimi sighed as she absentmindedly played with the cross hanging

 from Seira’s neck. “I guess so. But doesn’t it defeat the purpose of

 me being a ‘mysterious thief’?” That was one thing that always caught

 Meimi off guard, the fact that Seira always seemed to see right

 through her. She couldn’t pull anything over on the dark haired girl.

 For a girl that didn’t know anything about the latest hit songs or

 fashions (unless she needed to find out about them), there wasn’t a

 thing about Meimi that she didn’t know. Meimi’s eyes slowly trailed

 up from the cross to Seira’s slate gray eyes. The auburn haired girl

 smiled as the Sister-in-training watched her.

 	“I must know all of your tricks, then, Meimi-chan.” Giggling, Seira

 wrapped her arms around the slightly taller girl’s neck. She couldn’t

 remember the last time she had felt so lighthearted, so free. ‘And He

 will lift me up on eagle’s wings…’ Her nose rested against Meimi’s as

 she looked into beautiful blue eyes. There was more magic in those

 shining eyes than there were in all of the magic Meimi performed as

 Saint Tail. After all, that was just smoke and mirrors. But the

 beautiful sparkle in her eyes was a gift from God, a true miracle.

 And one that Seira couldn’t help but love dearly. “You should wear

 your glasses more often. You look so cute in them,” Seira suggested

 after a moment.

 	Blushing faintly, Meimi closed her eyes. “You really do know all my

 secrets. But I hate wearing those things. I don’t even wear those in

 class anymore. They looked so stupid.” While Meimi wasn’t exactly

 vain, she did know that many of her classmates thought she was

 pretty. She hadn’t been very happy about needing to get glasses when

 she had found out she was farsighted because she felt it made her

 look boring. She didn’t like having the glasses in her way. So she

 hadn’t worn them very often since getting them. Seira was one of the

 few people who even knew she had them. 

 	“I still think you looked very pretty in them,” Seira insisted,

 trying to envision how Meimi would look in her glasses at the moment.

 The last time she had seen the auburn haired girl wear them had been

 over a year before. “Besides, you think very highly of your father

 and he wears glasses,” she pointed out. A smile crossed her lips when

 she saw Meimi waver. She knew that it would make Meimi rethink it. He

 was why the other girl had gotten into magic in the first place,

 after all.

 	“I hadn’t thought about that,” Meimi admitted, relenting. “Maybe

 I’ll wear them sometime soon, if you think I should.” Seeing Seira

 nod in agreement, Meimi smiled. If Seira thought she looked cute in

 her glasses, she suddenly didn’t have a very good reason not to wear

 them anymore. It was nice knowing that the perceptive Sister-in-

 training found her pretty. What Seira thought was much more important

 than what anyone else thought. So when she heard such things from the

 dark haired girl, it always stayed with her. Perhaps it was because

 she knew that Seira wouldn’t lie to her, that when Seira said these

 things she meant it wholeheartedly. Or maybe it was as simple as

 those sorts of things sounding so much better coming from the person

 who loved you. Whatever the case, Meimi took it to heart. “If you

 know all of my tricks and secrets, then you should be my assistant,

 Seira. Every good magician has an assistant.”

 	Giggling, Seira shook her head. “I’m really not sure if I’d make a

 very good assistant. They’re only there to distract the audience.

 You’re too good a magician to need anything like that. I don’t think

 I’m dazzling enough to make a decent assistant.” Though the proposal

 certainly had its appeal, Seira couldn’t imagine being on stage while

 Meimi performed her magic. Especially in whatever skimpy outfit being

 a magician’s assistant usually meant having to wear. She was much

 more of a behind the scenes player in such things. Just as she had

 always been throughout Saint Tail’s career. She would provide the

 information and whatever help she could. Meimi was much better suited

 to the spotlight. 

 	“Oh, that’s not true. You’d make a gorgeous assistant. You’d just

 need a flashier outfit, like my Saint Tail one. Something cute and

 lacy. Then we could go on stage together.” Though Meimi was only half-

 serious, she could feel her heart beating rapidly in her chest. If

 only Seira would agree, then everything would work out. It would be

 the perfect way of keeping the dark haired girl from leaving to

 become a nun. They could be a team, just as they were now. They could

 stay together, forever. Meimi tried to force the thought away, but it

 was like trying to push a freight train. Seira would be leaving very

 soon. There was a chance that she may never see the young Sister-in-

 training again. Even if they did meet again, Seira would be a full

 fledged nun by then. Their relationship would have to come to an end,

 their friendship all that remained. Meimi didn’t know if she could

 take that. It wasn’t just life without Seira anymore. It was life

 without the love that she now found herself needing more than the air

 she breathed. 

 	“And usurp you while you wear that cute tuxedo on stage? I could

 never do that, Meimi-chan.” Seira smiled brightly, happy to have

 Meimi so near. She could feel Meimi’s hands slip around her waist,

 anxiously pulling her closer. Seira relaxed against the slightly

 taller girl, her worries far behind her. Because above all else,

 Seira had faith that things would turn out for the best. She had

 faith in God above. She would follow his will wherever it led her.

 And she had faith in a girl named Meimi Haneoka. She knew that

 somehow everything would work out. Her heart fluttered delicately,

 like a cherry blossom in a gentle breeze. This was perfect. Her

 fingers interlocked behind Meimi’s neck, covered by the other girl’s

 beautiful auburn hair. She was very thankful for her blessings,

 indeed.

 	Meimi, being the overemotional girl she was, felt her own heart

 pounding in her chest. She wanted to hold onto the moment, steal it

 away and hide it forever in a locket. The pretty young Sister-in-

 training in her arms was held close to her beating heart, sending

 tremors through her soul. Seira was so sweet, so gentle. Sometimes

 Meimi wondered why it had taken her so long to start dating Seira. At

 other times she was completely surprised to find herself so enamored

 with this loving spirit. At times like that, she was unsure of how

 she had ended up in such a strange predicament, but incredibly

 grateful she had ended up there nonetheless. Right now she found

 herself simply caught up in the beat of Seira’s heart against her

 own. So calm, so reassuring. All the while, Meimi’s own heart played

 a staccato beat inside of her. In many ways, it was just like the two

 girls. Very little could bother Seira while Meimi found herself

 reacting heavily to everything that she stumbled across. Meimi

 watched as the dark haired girl closed her eyes, content to listen to

 the musical harmony of their joined hearts. But that just made the

 young magician’s heart beat that much faster, a hand going up to

 trail along Seira’s soft cheek. She smiled when she saw Seira’s eyes

 flutter open, dark lashes batting as gray eyes looked back into her

 own. ‘Kiss her,’ she heard echoing through her thoughts. Without

 another thought, she obeyed, kissing her pretty best friend. It was

 what she wanted, after all. What she had wanted to do when she was

 first sneaking up behind Seira. Just a simple kiss. Her lips pressed

 lightly against Seira’s, startling the young almost-nun at first.

 Meimi kissed the other girl harder, pouring out the flurry of

 emotions struggling through her heart as their lips met. As Meimi

 often did when they kissed, she marveled at how soft Seira’s lips

 felt against her own, at how warm the kiss felt, at how delicious it

 tasted, at how Seira seemed to melt into her. It all swept her up

 like a tornado, whipping around her fiercely as she and Seira waited

 in the eye of the storm. 

 	Thoughts were only dimly functional in Seira’s mind. They fought

 through her head with the same strength of whispers. There was a

 bright light, shimmering and all encompassing that held Seira’s soul

 up high. And there were warm, persistent lips that were rarely away

 from her own for more than a fraction of a second. She shifted

 against Meimi, unsure of her own strength to stand. She felt like

 light was pouring through her whole body, her lips drawn again and

 again to Meimi’s as if they were magnetized. She could feel soft hair

 under her fingers as Meimi’s own fingers cupped her cheek. She felt

 deliciously lightheaded, as if nothing mattered in the world. ‘Thank

 you, Lord, for letting me meet her,’ she silently prayed as she felt

 Meimi kiss her again. Her lips parted for the mysterious thief when

 they met again, an acute thrill rippling through Seira’s normally

 placid world like a stone skipping over a pond. If there was one

 guilty pleasure that Seira had to admit to, it was that Meimi was an

 excellent kisser. It was Meimi’s kisses that kept Seira up at night,

 dreaming about one more soul stirring kiss.

 	When the two finally pulled apart, the Sister-in-training placed a

 finger on Meimi’s nose, holding her at bay. “Meimi-chan... We

 probably shouldn’t be doing that in here.” 

 	“Do you really think He’d mind?” Meimi asked, her arms

 outstretched. The problems with dating a girl who was raised by nuns,

 she conceded. But she wouldn’t trade those problems for anything. 

 	Seira smiled at Meimi’s question, shaking her head. Taking the

 auburn haired girl’s hand, she led her outside to the garden. “It’s

 not Him that I’m worried about. It’s Sister Abbess who would most

 likely have a problem with it. I’d rather spare her the sight of your

 world famous kisses.”

 	Meimi stuck her tongue out, sitting alongside Seira on one of the

 garden’s benches. “They can’t be world famous if you’re the only one

 who knows about them.”

 	With a giggle, Seira nodded. “Good, then let’s keep it that way.

 I’d rather be the only one to know about them. I’m sure Sister Abbess

 would be much happier that way, too.” 

 	Meimi couldn’t help but smile at her dark haired friend’s sweet

 presence. She couldn’t put her finger on anything specific. She just

 felt so... in love. It was like a fireworks display in her heart, a

 blinding display of pyrotechnics. “I love you, you know, Seira.”

 	Smiling, Seira nodded, kissing Meimi’s cheek. “I know. I love you,

 too.” She watched the blue eyed girl for a long moment, simply gazing

 at her lovely features. She couldn’t think of anything prettier in

 the garden. After a moment, Meimi yawned, a hand going to her mouth.

 “You didn’t sleep much last night?” Seira asked. Seeing Meimi nod,

 the dark haired girl took Meimi’s head and rested it in her lap,

 stroking her long, auburn hair back. 

 	Meimi stifled another yawn and a protest. She was about to say that

 it wasn’t too bad, but Seira’s lap felt so nice. And she had to admit

 that it was better than sitting up. Seira’s gentle hands felt so nice

 through her long hair, drifting through it ever so softly. Everything

 began to grow blurry after a long, sweet moment. Meimi fought to keep

 her eyes from closing, trying to focus on a tree across from them. “I

 was working on a new magic trick. I thought it might come in handy if

 Saint Tail needs to go help again sometime soon.” 

 	Seira kept up her gentle brushing of Meimi’s hair, looking down at

 her sleepy best friend. A smile lit up her face. The athletic girl

 was so cute when she was tired. Maybe she put the other girl through

 too many late nights as Saint Tail, but Meimi never complained about

 it. “You were working on a new magic trick? That’s great. You can try

 it out tonight.” She watched the other girl, waiting for a reaction.

 Meimi seemed more intent on holding in another sigh for the time

 being. 

 	“Yeah? That should be...” Meimi trailed off, her mind finally

 catching up. She sat up quickly, her long hair drifting in the wind

 for a moment. Suddenly wide awake, Meimi turned to the Sister-in-

 training. “Wait... Oh, no.” She shook her head. “I have tickets

 tonight. We’re going to the Jun concert, remember? I bought those

 tickets weeks ago. We have a date tonight. I don’t have time for

 Saint Tail.”

 	Sweatdropping, Seira placed both of her hands in her lap. “I know.

 But this girl really needs God’s protection. And Saint Tail is the

 only one who can give it to her. I really wanted to go on our date

 tonight, too, Meimi-chan. But I think it’s more important that you

 help her.” Seira gave Meimi her best hopeful look, squeezing her

 hands together tighter. The other girl tried not to meet her eyes,

 but Seira kept up, her slate gray eyes following Meimi’s. 

 	“But I had to wait in line for two hours for those tickets,” Meimi

 whined, slumping back on the bench with her arms crossed. Staring up

 at the treetops, she harumphed. “It was supposed to be a big night,

 too. I was really looking forward to this.” She had gone on plenty of

 dates with Seira in the time they had been together, but that didn’t

 mean that she wanted to sacrifice her upcoming one for Saint Tail.

 She could see a dove carrying off the tickets in her mind’s eye.

 Seira’s hand rested on her own, trying to calm her. She sighed.

 	“I was looking forward to it, too. But I think this is more

 important. Besides, I don’t think your two hours of waiting have to

 go to waste. I know two people who would love to have those tickets.”

 Seira smiled brightly, catching Meimi’s eye again. Taking Meimi’s

 hand with both of her own, she held it to her heart. She had no idea

 who Jun was other than she was some idol that Meimi liked to listen

 to. So it didn’t bother her that she couldn’t see the girl sing. She

 was disappointed that she couldn’t go out with Meimi that night, but

 she believed that Saint Tail was needed.

 	“But that’s not fair! Why can’t we go on our date? Isn’t it time

 for Saint Tail to have a break? I just want to be with you tonight,”

 Meimi said at last, turning to meet Seira’s gaze. She squeezed

 Seira’s hands, her own disappointment evident even in the face of

 Seira’s optimistic smile. It had sounded like such a magical night.

 Tickets for Jun’s new concert and Seira would be coming with her. It

 would have been such a perfect date, being there together with Jun’s

 love songs drawing them together. And it was one of their last

 chances to be together. Meimi was all too aware that she was running

 out of time with Seira. But even packing in as much time as she could

 with the Sister-in-training, it never felt enough. There was always

 that nagging feeling that it would all be coming to an end all too

 soon. 

 	“She’s very sick right now. She can’t go out much and she may be

 with God very soon. I met her at the hospital when I went with one of

 the other Sisters. She has a love letter at home, one that she wrote

 a long time ago but never delivered. A beautiful pink letter with a

 long ribbon on it. Her mother has it, along with the rest of her

 things. She wants to give it to the person she likes, but she can’t

 even get home to find it,” Seira explained, still holding onto

 Meimi’s hand. “I told her she would surely have God’s protection.”

 	“Oh... I.. I didn’t know.” Meimi could only stare, her heart

 dropping. That poor girl. The thought of her dying without even being

 able to tell her love of her heart’s true feelings was horrible. What

 if she hadn’t known of Seira’s feelings before she left for Rome?

 That would have been unbearable. The pretty thief nodded solemnly,

 her mind made up. “I’ll do it. Saint Tail will find the letter.” Her

 heart melted when she saw the grateful smile that Seira flashed her,

 along with a sweet kiss on the cheek.

 	“You have my gratitude as well as the Lord’s. And I’m sure Ryoko

 and Kyoko will be very happy as well when they get the tickets.”

 Seira couldn’t help but smile happily at her defeated friend. A date

 would have been lovely, but somehow it seemed more fitting to spend

 one of their last nights together helping others through Saint Tail.

 	“All right. But you have to wait for me at the church. I’m coming

 right back after I’m done,” Meimi said stubbornly. 

 	“But you need your sleep, Meimi-chan,” Seira argued. She could

 still see the sleepiness in Meimi’s blue eyes, but the auburn haired

 girl fought it off. She didn’t know if she should feel bad or happy

 that she was the reason that Meimi was always sneaking off late at

 night. She decided that it was probably a good thing, even if it did

 leave poor Meimi sleep deprived. 

 	“I don’t care. I need to see you more than I need to sleep. We can

 talk in the garden or just sit in the church or whatever. I just want

 to be with you tonight.” Meimi looked over at Seira determinedly. She

 saw Seira nod in assent, and felt her heart relax. It wasn’t the big

 date she had been planning, but at least it was something. 

 	“I’d love that, Meimi-chan,” Seira replied, resting her head on

 Meimi’s shoulder. Her gray eyes fluttered closed, her mind

 concentrating on the girl next to her. If any of the nun’s saw them,

 they probably wouldn’t think anything. But even that didn’t really

 seem to matter. It was just enough that she was there with Meimi. 

 

 	‘Now where could it be?’ Moving with the lithe ease of a trained

 gymnast, Saint Tail made almost no sound as she slipped through an

 upper window of a seemingly empty house. But appearances can be

 deceiving. The woman of the house could be home or Asuka Jr. could be

 waiting for her. Lurking in the shadows, the mysterious thief crept

 silently forward. Her prize lay somewhere in the house, a pretty,

 pink love letter. Meimi grinned to herself. She got to play Cupid for

 once instead of just a thief. 

 	Turning a doorknob ever so slowly, Meimi ducked into a small room.

 ‘Just where Seira told me it would be,’ Meimi thought happily. The

 room was small, but very cute. Stuffed animals lay on the bed atop a

 large well used quilt. A small white desk took up the other corner of

 the room, books and notes all over it. Meimi smiled to herself as she

 looked about the room. Chisato, the girl that lived there must be

 very sweet. She had to quell the thought when she remembered the girl

 was in the hospital. The difference between the well lived in room

 and the stuffy atmosphere of the hospital was tremendous. “Hopefully

 she can come back home soon. And when she does, maybe she’ll have a

 boyfriend waiting for her.” Smiling again, Meimi set her sights on

 the desk.

 	Flipping through notebooks, Kaitou Saint Tail tried to uncover the

 elusive love letter. She felt bad for snooping through the girl’s

 private possessions, but she had no other way of finding the letter.

 Besides, she was a thief after all, so this was her line of work. She

 smiled at the small drawings in the notebooks, cute little pictures

 of little animals and classmates with little captions around them.

 ‘Poor Asami-chan doesn’t like tests,’ one read next to some Math

 notes above a picture of a girl looking frantic. ‘Almost lunchtime!’

 another read with a girl staring anxiously at the clock. Saint Tail

 continued to flip through the notebook, amused by the little

 drawings. Her smile faded slowly as she found more and more of them

 as the girl become bedridden. ‘Mama makes the best soup!’ was the

 caption of one that showed her in bed with a big bowl. ‘I miss Asami-

 chan...’ another read, showing her stuck in bed and gazing out the

 window. The paper around the drawing was wrinkled as if teardrops had

 fallen on it. 

 	Shaking her head, Meimi put the notebook back down. She had to find

 the love letter. That was her goal. Everything else could wait. She

 had promised Seira that she would do this. A sigh escaped her as she

 saw the clock. She was missing Jun’s first song. And she would

 probably hear how wonderful it was the next day from Ryoko and Kyoko. 

 	Turning her attention back to the task at hand, Meimi sifted

 through several more folders and notebooks but to no avail. Her hands

 traveled down the desk, searching through every drawer she came

 across. Still nothing. The desk had been her obvious answer, but she

 couldn’t find the love letter on it at all. Turning to check the

 nightstand near the bed, Meimi stumbled over a wastebasket. Covering

 her mouth, she cursed silently, hoping she hadn’t made too much

 noise. Sighing after a moment of silence, Meimi pushed her pony tail

 back. ‘Maybe I should wear my glasses more often after all. All this

 running around in the dark can’t be good for my eyesight.’ Kneeling

 down, the mysterious thief began to pick up the wastebasket. It had

 been nearly overflowing with tissues. Well, the girl had been sick.

 But they were all dark, stained. It took Meimi a moment to notice

 that they were all bloody. Her heart rolled in her chest as she set

 the basket aside. She couldn’t get distracted by these things. She

 had to find the letter.

 	“Where is it?” Meimi asked in frustration. As if in answer, the

 closet door opened. The auburn haired girl froze as a boy’s figure

 stepped out. 

 	“Looking for this?” Asuka Jr. asked, holding up the rectangular

 envelope in his hand. He grinned to himself as he watched Saint Tail

 motionless in the shadows. “I don’t know why you’re here to steal

 some girl’s love letter, Saint Tail, but I’m not going to let you get

 away with it. Tonight, you’re mine.” He watched her for a moment, but

 she made no move to escape. He grinned in anticipation as he hurried

 forward to claim his own prize. He reached out, grabbing hold of

 Saint Tail’s arm with all the strength he could muster. “You’re not

 going anywhere!” He hauled her closer, his heart pounding as his face

 inched closer to her own. He was about to see who she was. He would

 finally know who Saint Tail was. His heart felt like it would burst.

 His head finally reached hers, his eyes straining in the darkness. To

 his surprise, Saint Tail had no face. “Wha?!” The face was completely

 blank, absolutely no features at all. She bobbed back and forth like

 a balloon as he pulled back. Something behind him took the letter

 right out of his hand in his state of surprise. “Huh? No!”

 	“Thank you! There’s someone who needs this love letter much more

 than you. I hope you don’t mind. I have Cupid’s arrow to deliver.”

 Leaping out of the way, Saint Tail waved to the young detective

 before disappearing out the window. Landing on her feet, she

 immediately broke into a run, sticking to the shadows. ‘Wow... It’s

 like his spell’s been broken. I was always so eager to see if he’d

 find out or not that I would freeze when he was about to find out.

 But now that I’m dating Seira, it’s like it doesn’t matter. I’ll have

 to thank her later.’ Smiling to herself, the mysterious thief made

 her way to the hospital.

 	

 	Sneaking past the front desk, Saint Tail tried to determine where

 Chisato’s room was. It was past visiting hours, but she thought that

 a quick visit couldn’t hurt. Besides, she thought it would cheer the

 sick girl up to know that her love letter had been retrieved and was

 about to reach the hands of the one she loved. Maybe that would give

 her the strength to get better. Meimi smiled at the thought. Before

 she could go another step, she heard someone rush up to the desk. Her

 ears perked up at the frantic tone of voice.

 	“I need to know where a girl named Chisato Hikari’s room is! I need

 to stop Saint Tail!”

 	Meimi’s eyes went wide. It sounded like Asuka Jr. had ran all the

 way to the hospital. He obviously didn’t feel like giving up easily

 tonight. This would have to be a very short visit, then. Taking her

 best guess, Saint Tail dashed down the mostly empty hallway, ducking

 past a handful of nurses. A shout behind her told her that she had

 been spotted by the persistent detective’s son. Whirling around,

 Meimi brought her top hat about, doves flying out towards the

 detective to distract him. ‘I have to tell her that her letter will

 be delivered directly. That should perk her up. Even if Asuka Jr.’s

 here, I can still do that. I’ll just make it quick.’ The birds did

 their job distracting the young detective, giving Meimi the chance to

 slip into Chisato’s hospital room. 

 	Walking to the small bed, Meimi held up the pink love letter to

 show to its owner. “Chisato-chan...” she whispered, stopping beside

 the bed. “I have your love letter. Don’t worry. It will be in your

 love’s hands before the nights over,” she whispered reassuringly. The

 girl was deathly pale, her long hair disappearing behind her. Meimi

 leaned closer, trying to get Chisato’s attention. “Chisato-chan...”

 she whispered, a little louder this time. Still no response. But

 there was a strange beeping in the room and a ruckus coming from the

 hallway. “Chisato-chan?” The girl just lay there, silent and

 unmoving. Meimi took a step back as the door burst open, doctors

 rushing to the girl’s side. Her heart hung like a weight in her chest

 as she watched them gather around the girl’s prone form. She shook

 her head, her ponytail moving from side to side. “No..” she

 whispered, realization hitting her. She felt like the floor had just

 given way underneath her. Her legs didn’t respond to her mental

 commands, collapsing underneath her. She could only watch as doctors

 began to slow their hurried performance. It all felt so surreal, men

 gathered around an unmoving child, intent upon one who is doing

 nothing at all.

 	An unsteady hand helped Saint Tail back to her feet. Asuka Jr.

 could only stare as the doctors continued swarming around the

 unmoving girl. “What happened?” Asuka Jr. heard. The voice startled

 him. It took him a moment before her remembered it was his own. It

 sounded so distant, as if it had traveled to him through a body of

 water. He had been so intent on catching Saint Tail, but now that

 hardly seemed to matter. Was that the girl that Saint Tail was trying

 to help in the bed, surrounded by an army of masked doctors? What a

 frightening sight, all of these faceless people surrounding someone,

 poking and prodding relentlessly. “What’s.. What’s going on?” Asuka

 tried again, getting no more strength behind his voice. 

 	For what felt like an eternity, both thief and detective stood and

 watched, unable to do a thing. Their eternal struggle forgotten, they

 stood together against the wall, too forlorn to offer anything but a

 shoulder to lean on. During all this time, the letter remained in

 Saint Tail’s hand, feeling like it held the weight of the world

 within it, almost too heavy for her weak fingers. Slowly, a doctor

 approached the two, pulling down her mask. “I’m sorry. She’s dead. We

 did all we could, but it was too late. Her body just gave out. Were

 you friends with the deceased?”

 	‘With the deceased’ played again and again through Meimi’s

 thoughts. This was a girl with hopes and dreams, fears and loves.

 Meimi had only known her from the writings she had seen, the drawings

 this girl had drawn with a hand that no longer moved. That she had

 seen with eyes that could no longer see. No, Meimi had not been

 friends with her, had not even known of her until earlier that day.

 But this had been another girl, a beautiful, sweet girl. And now she

 was dead. Meimi felt her heart seize in her chest. “I.. I just wanted

 to help her..” she barely got out, the world around her blurring as

 tears burned at her eyes. She couldn’t even see as the body was

 wheeled out of the room. ‘I miss Asami-chan,’ Meimi heard in her

 head, the image of the lonely girl looking out a window returning to

 her. She closed her eyes tightly. “I.. I have to go..” She pulled

 away, clutching the letter like a lifeline. She had to hurry. She

 didn’t know why, only that she couldn’t waste a second. Perhaps it

 was a way of escaping the tragedy of the moment. Perhaps it was a way

 for her to busy herself with something else. Whatever the case, she

 quickly turned to leave. 

 	“Good luck,” Asuka Jr. called after her, his hands in his pockets.

 He didn’t feel like following. He couldn’t bring himself to. Not

 tonight. 

 

 	With trembling hands, Saint Tail slid open the window to another

 bedroom a short time later. Slipping into the room, she held the love

 letter to her chest. “Are you Asami-chan?” she heard herself asking

 into the darkness, pointed towards the bed. “I have something for

 you.” Her mind refused to deviate from her task. She was here to

 deliver the letter. Deliver the letter. Deliver the letter. Deliver

 the letter. Deliver the letter. Deliver the letter. Deliver the

 letter. Deliver the letter. Deliver the letter. Deliver the letter.

 Deliver the letter. Deliver the letter. Deliver the letter. Deliver

 the letter. Deliver the letter. Deliver the letter. Deliver the

 letter. Deliver the letter. Deliver the

 	The figure on the bed stirred, shifting sleepily before finally

 sitting up. In the darkness, the half blanket shrouded figure looked

 far too much like ancient depictions of death to Meimi. Shuddering

 violently, the mysterious thief tried not to think at all. She

 focused solely on her mission. This was what she had been meant to

 do. She had to give the letter to this girl. “I’m Saint Tail. I have

 a letter that belongs to you.” Her fingers shook as she held out the

 letter. It slipped from her fingers, pinwheeling in the air before

 flopping on the floor. Meimi reached for it, taking two tries to

 finally clasp it in her gloved hand again. 

 	The sleepy figure shook her head, trying to get her bearings.

 “Saint Tail?” she asked curiously before yawning. Reaching forward,

 she slowly took the pink love letter. Her mind was still half asleep.

 “What’s this?” It took her a moment to see through the blurry haze of

 sleep. She turned the letter over in her hand. A small drawing of a

 lovestruck girl on the back brought a smile to her lips. “Chisato-

 chan.” Her mind was still tired to make anything of the connection to

 her friend.

 	“It’s for you. From her. Chisato-chan. She.. She wanted you to have

 it..” Meimi got out weakly. “I.. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.” She could

 feel her eyes tearing up again. She had to leave. And soon. 

 	Asami shook her head, anxiety gripping her soul. Tearing open the

 letter, she skimmed through the cutely decorated stationary. It was

 obviously Chisato’s lovely handwriting, with her shy, delicate way of

 speaking. She smiled as she read through it. Chisato must have sent

 it sense she was stuck in the hospital. They hadn’t been able to talk

 much because the hospital didn’t let visitors see her often. How

 sweet of her. Halfway through, she finally understood. Her reading

 quickened, her eyes tearing over the paper. “She.. loves me?” She

 glanced up to the mysterious thief. To her surprise, Saint Tail

 shrank back into the shadows, shaking her head continuously. “Chisato-

 chan’s in love with me?” she asked again. She was overcome by shock.

 Chisato had been her best friend for years now. She had always been

 so sweet. It took her off guard that Chisato could be in love with

 her. The other girl had always been so shy around her, blushing when

 she would ask questions about love or relationships. She still didn’t

 know how she felt about it. Flattered? Embarrassed? It was such a

 beautiful, glowing letter. She held it close to her chest. She felt..

 happy. She smiled. Maybe.. Maybe she felt the same way.

 	“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry,” Meimi repeated, nearly at the window.

 She could barely think, suddenly overcome by what had happened

 earlier. She no longer had her mission to keep her from thinking

 about it. It consumed her soul, dark tendrils holding her, sending

 icy chills throughout her body. Her heart felt frozen. 

 	“Sorry..? For what? What’s going on?” Asami slid off of her bed,

 suddenly panicking. Was Saint Tail crying? Moonlight sparkled off of

 her tears, little shooting stars slipping down her chin and falling

 to the earth below. “What is it? What happened?” Asami demanded.

 Saint Tail’s mouth opened and Asami’s world shattered as if it was

 made of brittle glass.

 

 	“It’s not fair! It isn’t fair at all!” Meimi sobbed, her head on

 Seira’s lap sometime later. She had left Asami alone, leaving when

 she had been unable to comfort her. The last she had seen of the

 other girl had been her crying and broken in her room. Meimi had

 hurried straight to Seira, the night taking it’s toll on the

 mysterious thief. And there she found herself, crying into Seira’s

 blue nightgown. 

 	Seira gently stroked Meimi’s hair, unsure of what to say to soothe

 the distraught thief. She could feel the warm tears against her legs,

 seeping through the fabric of her nightgown. A chill went through her

 as the night wind blew across the two girls, but somehow she doubted

 it was the cause of her sudden chill. She swallowed painfully,

 closing her eyes. “I should have explained. Sister Emari and I were

 visiting the terminally ill patients. They knew she was going to die

 soon. I just didn’t think it would be tonight. I’m so sorry, Meimi-

 chan.”

 	“But why, Seira? Why?” Meimi asked, wiping her eyes on Seira’s

 nightgown. “Why did He take her? She was a sweet girl, I could tell.

 And.. and she was in love. Asami.. I think she loved her back. But

 now she’ll never know. Now she’ll never be able to see.” Meimi shook

 her head in frustration, tears sliding down her cheeks. 

 	“I don’t think she would have told Asami-chan otherwise, Meimi-

 chan. She was very shy. She didn’t know how to tell her friend. She

 wrote that love letter before she got sick. She wasn’t going to give

 it to her. But when she got sick, she thought it was her only

 chance," Seira explained, her fingers brushing away some of Meimi’s

 tears. 

 	“Then I failed her. I didn’t get it to Asami-chan in time. If I

 had, maybe they could have talked. Maybe they could have had some

 time together.” Meimi shook her head, tears clinging to her

 eyelashes. She felt so weak inside, so torn apart. Saint Tail always

 brought people God’s protection. How could she have failed? It always

 helped people, but this time she felt no joy in accomplishing her

 task. 

 	Seira gently held Meimi’s head in her lap, her gray eyes looking

 deep into Meimi. “Meimi-chan, death is not failure. Death doesn’t

 mean that you lost. Life is more than winning and losing. She may

 have died, but that doesn’t mean her love died with her. It was only

 sealed away in an envelope. You delivered it for her. She was too shy

 to tell her True Love how she felt. You couldn’t have prevented her

 death. It was God’s will that she return to Him now. But you did give

 her love a last message. She’s free from her pain now. But you have

 freed her from a regret that may have stayed with her soul. She has

 finally been able to tell the girl she loves how she felt. I’m sure

 she’s smiling up above, watching over Asami-chan. And now Asami-chan

 knows. What she does with that knowledge is up to her. But if it

 weren’t for you, she would never have known that Chisato-chan was in

 love with her.”

 	Meimi sniffled, trying to meet Seira’s gaze. “But it’s still not

 fair. I tried so hard, but I feel like it didn’t mean anything.”

 	“For Chisato-chan, it meant everything. She can rest peacefully now

 thanks to you, Meimi-chan.” Seira bent over, kissing Meimi’s

 forehead. “You did your best. That’s all anyone could ever ask of

 you.”

 	“I know..” Meimi replied weakly, resting an arm across her face. “I

 know.”

 	Seira sighed sadly, still stroking Meimi’s long hair. “Sometimes

 it’s very hard to understand His plan, Meimi-chan. Sometimes it’s

 easy to lose our way. But we have to have faith, even when we wonder

 ‘why’. Sometimes ‘because’ is the only answer we can find. Life is

 full of beauty and sadness. Even in the simplest, plainest things are

 immeasurable beauty. And there can also be immeasurable pain. We have

 to console each other while we’re on this earth. We have to help each

 other. Even then, pain will still find us. But with pain and with

 anguish, there is always hope. We have to nurture it like a tiny

 flower, letting it bloom in all of us. Hope, love, dreams, these are

 all parts of the same thing. There the gifts that He has given us. As

 long as we have hope, despair can never ruin us. Never completely.”

 Seira placed another kiss on Meimi’s head. “I love you, Meimi-chan. I

 realize now that I would have made a huge mistake if I hadn’t told

 you.”

 	“I love you, Seira..” Meimi got out quietly, her voice choking up.

 She closed her eyes, tears silently falling onto Seira’s lap. 

 	

 	Meimi sighed as she slumped onto her bed, exhausted. A groan

 escaped her after a quick glance at the clock. Why did Saint Tail

 always have to work at night? It was too bad that being a mysterious

 thief wasn’t a valid excuse for staying up so late at night. And

 neither was spending the wee morning hours with a pretty Sister-in-

 training. Somehow she doubted the nuns at her school would accept

 either excuse. Yet she already knew that sleep would elude her. Her

 mind was still too focused on Seira, on the past few hours. On what

 little time they had left. That thought alone would keep sleep at bay

 for quite some time. The whole thing with Chisato had her even more

 concerned with losing Seira. Shifting uneasily in bed, the auburn

 haired girl found herself staring at the clock as minutes silently

 ticked away. Hopelessness surrounded her heart, thick and heavy. Each

 minute that ticked by signaled another moment that she could not

 reclaim, another instant with Seira that was forever, inexorably

 gone. 

 	Rolling onto her back, Meimi stared up at her roof, trying

 unsuccessfully to push away such troublesome thoughts. But she had

 never been good at such things. This would keep eating at her until

 it went away on its own or until she could resolve the situation. And

 there was nothing she could do about it. In less than a week, Seira

 would be gone. When next they met, the dark haired girl would be a

 full-fledged Sister. They would still be friends, of that Meimi was

 certain. They would forever be friends. But what of their courtship,

 which Meimi was starting to feel was going to be cut off all too

 briefly? That was something they would have to abandon once Seira

 became a nun. Seira would then be a woman of God, destined to a life

 of celibacy, married to the Church. Such childish things as their

 relationship would be nothing but memories.

 	And where did that put Meimi? Would she eventually find some boy

 and get married? That didn’t sound right, to move on when Seira

 became a nun. But what else was she supposed to do? What did their

 relationship mean, anyway? ‘It means I love her,’ Meimi mentally

 answered, her hands behind her head. ‘And I would still love her,

 even if she does go off and becomes Sister Seira.’ But could she

 really spend forever alone, as Seira was about to? That thought was

 too lonely to bear, chilling Meimi’s heart. So how, then, could Seira

 live with the thought? It would have to be a terribly lonely life, a

 life without the love Seira had held for so long. She could see Seira

 kneeling in prayer forever. Why would God want to deny one of his

 kindest, gentlest subjects the chance at love? It baffled Meimi. 

 	But then... Perhaps He didn’t. Meimi sat up suddenly, pacing the

 floor of her room, almost stumbling over her pet hedgehog, Ruby.

 Throughout the past few years, Saint Tail had been the one to grant

 God’s protection. All at the behest of Seira. She had always gone to

 help whoever Seira had asked her to. Who better to receive God’s

 protection from the mysterious thief Saint Tail than the girl who had

 brought it all about so selflessly to begin with? Who was more

 deserving than Seira? Yes, it made perfect sense. But how? 

 	Pausing for only a moment to pick up Ruby, Meimi resumed her

 pacing. What could Saint Tail do to prevent Seira from leaving? What

 was within her power to fix things for the young Sister-in-training?

 This was always Seira’s line of work. She was the one who came up

 with how to fix things for people. But this time Meimi was on her

 own. She thought frantically, not noticing the light starting to

 spill through her window. There had to be something, somehow. It

 wasn’t as if she could just steal Seira. Or could she? Lifting up

 Ruby, she smiled brightly at the cute hedgehog. “I can’t let Seira

 go. I won’t let her. I need her here, Ruby, with me. And I’ll make

 sure she’s happy. I’ll grant her God’s protection. This will be Saint

 Tail’s finest performance!”

 

 	“Please guide me. Please help me find my path.” Dim light bathed

 the young nun as the sun struggled up into the sky. Dawn had only

 broken a short time before, but the dark haired girl had been there

 for much longer. She was alone in the large, empty church, hands

 clasped in prayer. Her simple white outfit shimmered in a myriad of

 colors as the sun played across the beautiful stained glass. Had

 anyone seen her, they might well have mistaken the girl for an angel

 sent from Heaven. To the Sisters who had raised her, she was a little

 angel, something that had brought joy and wonder to their lives. A

 little gift from God that had landed on their doorstep by a mother

 who could not take care of her. They had pulled together to raise

 this little orphan into the beautiful young lady she was today. Seira

 felt she owed it to these loving women who had brought her up for as

 long as she could remember. She wanted to dedicate her life to the

 God that she loved so dearly. This had been her destined path, her

 future for as long as she could remember. But now... 

 	Sighing, Seira’s head lowered. She was having trouble thinking. The

 church had always been such a tranquil place for her. But now her

 heart was being torn in two. She had been in love with Meimi for

 years, but had never thought she could actually be with Meimi. That

 was one of the reasons she had wanted to join the convent. It would

 be easier that way. If she could not be with the one she loved, then

 she would devote herself to the Lord. Now she had a taste of the love

 in her heart and it left her unsure of herself. She knew that her

 faith would not waver. She would always be devoted in her heart. But

 her path now seemed so uncertain. Her whole life had been leading up

 to her eventually becoming a nun. Seira didn’t know any other way.

 Everyone had expected her to become a nun. The Sisters at the school,

 the students, even Meimi and herself. 

 	But with Meimi in her life, she was suddenly left with a

 surprisingly different option. Her heart belonged to Meimi, of that

 she was certain. She could go and be with her, stay with her

 mysterious thief. She could give in to the yearnings of her heart.

 She could have one but not the other. Her dream since she had been a

 child, the life she had prepared for could be hers. Or she could have

 the girl of her dreams. Which would it be? Seira felt as if she were

 being tugged in all directions. Her heart felt empty, afraid. 

 	So she prayed. And prayed. Because if there was one thing this

 could not affect, it was her faith in God above. Her delicate hands

 still held together, she continued her prayer for guidance. “Please

 help me to understand. I will follow your will wherever it leads me.”

 She swallowed pack the pain of tears left unshed. “I love her so

 much. Thank you for placing her in my life. For giving us the time

 together that you have. I will always cherish that gift you have

 given me. But now I find myself at a crossroads and I don’t know

 which path to take. I want to dedicate myself to you, to live my life

 for you. But I can’t do that if I’m with Meimi. But I don’t want to

 leave Meimi, either. I’m lost, my Lord. Please help me to find my

 way,” she whispered, her eyes closed tightly. 

 	“Seira-chan, what are you doing up so early?” a voice asked from

 the back of the church. 

 	Seira crossed herself before turning to see who the voice belonged

 to.  There was nothing she could do for now but wait and hope that

 her prayer would be answered. “Good morning, Sister Emari. I was just

 praying.” The dark haired girl smiled softly at the older woman as

 the Sister joined her in front of the altar. She hadn’t slept at all

 the night before, leaving her fuzzy and unfocused. Her mind was still

 jumbled, her heart heavy. But she would have to have faith that

 things would work out. Wherever God led her, she would follow. 

 	The older woman yawned tiredly as she reached the Sister in

 training, a hand covering her mouth. “And I thought I was an early

 riser. You must have a lot on your mind if you came to pray so

 early.” Pulling down her glasses, Sister Emari rubbed some of the

 sleep from her eyes. She smiled gently at the younger girl after

 replacing her glasses. Her smile faded as she saw the wet sheen over

 Seira’s gray eyes. “Is something troubling you, dear?” 

 	Picking up her bible, Seira averted her eyes, hugging the book

 tightly to her chest. The only sound in the large expanse of the

 church was Seira’s cross lightly sliding across the bible as she

 shifted. “I’m going away in less than a week,” the dark haired girl

 said at last, turning to look at the older woman. 

 	“Is that what you’re concerned about, Seira-chan? Dear, you

 shouldn’t worry about that. I know that you’ll make such a lovely

 nun. You’re kind and sweet and gentle. We’ll all miss you terribly,

 but when you return, you’ll be Sister Seira.” Sister Emari put a hand

 on Seira’s shoulder, smiling at the younger girl reassuringly. It

 didn’t seem to help Seira’s disposition any. The older Sister pushed

 her glasses back up. “That’s not it? What is it, Seira-chan?” The

 younger girl was practically a daughter to her and to the rest of the

 nuns at the school. It worried her to see Seira so troubled by

 something. Usually the younger girl was so bright and full of life.

 Now she seemed consumed by doubt. Could it be the upcoming trip to

 Rome itself? Seira had been so eager when they had first told her of

 it several months before. What could be bothering her about it now?

 For a moment, Sister Emari could see the small child that had been

 left at the church doorstep, the one that she had watched grow over

 the years. Like any mother, she couldn’t stand to see the younger

 girl in pain. None of the Sisters at the school could. Seira was

 their pride and joy. 

 	Seira hesitated for a moment, hugging her bible. What was she

 supposed to say? She always believed in doing what was right, what

 the Lord wanted, but she knew that sometimes you could bend things if

 it would help. Like having her best friend steal items to bring them

 back to those that needed them. Like lying about Ruby being a stuffed

 animal so Asuka Jr. wouldn’t catch on that Meimi was Saint Tail. But

 could she lie about this? About being in love with another girl?

 Whenever Seira would bend things, it was only to help others, never

 herself. Sighing inwardly, she could feel herself trembling as she

 lowered her gaze. “I don’t want to leave Meimi-chan,” she whispered. 

 	“Is that what this is all about? I’m sure you can come back and

 visit soon enough after you get settled. We’ll all want to see you

 again soon anyway. And I’m sure that the two of you could write each

 other.” Smiling warmly, Sister Emari tried to work out the soonest

 that Seira could return. She would miss the dark haired girl

 considerably, as she knew everyone else would. Maybe they could try

 to collect some money and fly her back for a visit sooner than they

 had originally planned. Anything to see their smiling little girl

 again. If only she would smile. Sister Emari frowned. Seira was

 usually so happy, always smiling or giggling. It was horrible to see

 the pretty younger girl robbed of her beautiful smile. Just as it

 would be sad when Seira left. The Sister-in-training really

 brightened the lives of the nuns. 

 	“I love her,” Seira said, looking down. She had never told any of

 the Sisters before of her feelings for Meimi. With the churches views

 on homosexuality, she had been too afraid to say anything. And it had

 been pointless to worry about it before. She would be joining the

 convent, away from the girl she loved. She wouldn’t be acting on her

 feelings, so it wasn’t a problem. It didn’t make her love Meimi any

 less, but it just hadn’t been important because there was no way she

 could be with the other girl. But now that was different. She was

 afraid of how the older women might react, afraid that she would let

 down these wonderful women who had raised her. 

 	“Oh...” Sister Emari cleared her throat, pushing up her glasses.

 The older Sister began to look around the large room, her eyes

 wandering. That had been... unexpected. Still, had she really

 expected Seira to grow up and never fall in love? Such a thing was

 preposterous. Of course their little Seira had fallen in love. But

 with Meimi? “You love Meimi?” Sister Emari repeated. Seeing Seira nod

 slowly, Emari sighed. She had heard correctly after all. “But she’s

 so... moody.”

 	Seira giggled softly despite herself. “I’ve noticed. But it’s

 something I’ve always loved. She’s very emotional.” Releasing a sigh,

 she closed her eyes. Her heart was still entangled hopelessly in a

 web she couldn’t begin to untangle. But her mind understood the

 church doctrine well enough. If she was to remain celibate, then it

 didn’t matter if she had feelings for another woman. “I know where I

 belong, Sister Emari. I love her, but that just makes it even more

 important that I join the convent. I will be God’s servant.” She

 waited for the older woman’s agreement but when none came, her eyes

 fluttered open. Sister Emari had her arms crossed, her attention cast

 forward as if she were deep in thought. “Sister?”

 	“Her name was Kasumi.”

 	Blinking in confusion, Seira shook her head. “Whose name was Kasumi?”

 	The older Sister smiled, her glasses glinting in the growing light.

 “Nothing. It was a long time ago. Seira, I’m not sure if your place

 is in the convent. You’ve always been God’s servant. You’ve always

 helped His people as best you could. And you aren’t a Sister yet.

 Even then, you’ve done wonderful things for people. I meant what I

 said earlier. You are kind and gentle and loving. But you don’t need

 to be a priest or a nun to follow the Lord’s path for you.”

 	“I don’t think I understand, Sister Emari. Doesn’t all of this make

 it even clearer that I should become a nun? Doesn’t all of this make

 my path clear?” Seira asked, gray eyes meeting the Emari’s brown

 eyes. She had made her decision, but now it seemed that Sister Emari

 was telling her otherwise. Confusion rolled over her, tossing the

 young Sister-in-training about.

 	“I can’t tell you what your path is, Seira-chan. Sometimes we have

 a hard time seeing it, but if we listen closely enough, we can

 understand in the end what we were put here for. You have done a

 wonderful job helping people even without being a nun. I don’t think

 being one would change you one bit. I do, on the other hand, think

 that the Lord would want you to be happy. He would want you to have

 joy in your life. And most of all, He would want to see your precious

 smile, just as He’s let us all see it as you grew up here.” Emari

 reached out and held the dark haired girl’s cheek. “You’re like a

 daughter to me, Seira-chan. To all of us. He would want you to be

 happy. We want you to be happy. We always thought you would grow up

 to become a nun because of how you are. But we don't expect it of

 you. Perhaps your path lies elsewhere. You’re one of the Lord’s most

 faithful servants. I can’t see Him wanting you to be lonely.”

 	“I... Sister Emari...” Seira got out weakly, taken aback. She

 blinked weary, tear streaked eyes. Her tangled heart struggled

 against the confining webs, Sister Emari’s words coursing through her

 soul. Crying softly, she felt arms pull her closer, gentle hands

 stroking her back. Was Sister Emari right? Could she be with Meimi?

 But still, she felt the convent’s calling, could feel her life’s

 dream waiting for her. Her mind collapsed into confusion. Resting

 weakly against the older woman, Seira cried herself to sleep.

 	

 	“Saint Tail!!” Darting forward, Asuka Jr. snagged at thin air.

 Blinking confusedly, the boy barely had time to notice his

 surrounding before he tumbled to the floor. Grumbling, he sat up,

 throwing his blankets to the side. Just another dream. Sighing, the

 green haired boy walked barefoot across his tidy room. Some would

 call him obsessed with the mysterious thief, but he didn’t care what

 anyone else thought. Only one thing mattered to the young detective,

 and that was unmasking Saint Tail. One day he would. One day soon. He

 would catch her. He would be the one. Saint Tail had promised him

 that he would be the only one to catch her. She was his first thought

 upon waking and his last thought upon drifting off to sleep. She was,

 for all intents and purposes, his one driving goal in life.

 	Stepping up to his window, Asuka Jr. drew the blinds. The dark

 haired boy winded as light poured into his room. Yawning, he turned

 away and began to get dressed. He hadn’t gotten much sleep the night

 before, having followed Saint Tail all the way to a hospital. He had

 almost caught her when doctors had run past, nearly knocking him

 over. They had run to the same room Saint Tail had been heading

 towards. 

 	Asuka Jr. closed his eyes tightly, trying to force out the thoughts

 that followed. But even as he tried to relegate them to the shadows

 of his mind, searchlights brought them out into the open. The girl

 had died. The girl that Saint Tail had been helping had been dead by

 the time the doctor’s reached her. Her body had finally given out,

 one of the doctors had told him. He and Saint Tail had been side by

 side as they heard the news. He could have caught her then and there.

 But he couldn’t. His heart hadn’t been in it. He saw them cart away

 the body of a pale girl and he suddenly hadn’t felt strong enough to

 stand, let alone to haul in Saint Tail. It was then that he learned

 that Saint Tail had been about to deliver a love letter from the now

 dead girl. It had been her final wish. So Asuka Jr. had let her go.

 How could he let the girl’s final wish go unfulfilled? At least this

 way, she wouldn’t regret never telling her love on the other side.

 They would know. But that thought sent a cold chill through him. How

 would he handle a letter confessing someone’s love for him only to

 discover they had already died? It was a painful situation, he knew.

 He was relieved that Saint Tail had been the one to give the letter

 and not himself. He didn’t know if he could do that. 

 	Trying to shake off the haunting feeling the thoughts gave him,

 Asuka Jr. turned to pick up his backpack. Something on the window

 caught his eye. Squinting, her walked closer to the plane of glass.

 “Traeh s’arieS retsiS rof emoc lliw I ,thginoT,” he managed to sound

 out. “What the hell?” Had Saint Tail suddenly started writing in

 code? Or was this some strange type of riddle? He shook his head,

 trying to decode the bizarre message. It finally hit him the third

 time through. She’d written it on his window from the outside. It was

 backwards. “Tonight, I will come for Sister Seira’s heart. Saint

 Tail.” He read it over again. What could she mean? He shook his head.

 It didn’t matter. He would find out tonight. Tonight, for sure! He

 would catch Saint Tail!

 

 	The church was completely empty except for a lone girl. Seira sat

 quietly in a confessional, her heart struggling to understand where

 her place was, where she belonged. She couldn’t tell how long she had

 been there or even when she had first arrived. This was her usual

 spot, inside the church, waiting for those in need. But now she found

 herself in need. She could usually determine what needed to be done

 to help people, to fix their problems. But she found herself unable

 to come up with a solution to her own predicament. Her heart teetered

 back and forth on the edge, unsure of which choice to make. On one

 hand, she loved Meimi dearly. On the other, her life was one that was

 committed to God. It left her in a precarious predicament. 

 	A sound in the other side of the confessional dragged Seira out of

 her thoughts. She smiled softly as she looked over at the screen.

 This was something she could handle. It was so much easier helping

 others figure out what to do than trying to decide what to do on her

 own. She would be leaving in a few days, but maybe she could get

 Saint Tail to help a few last people before she left. Or she could at

 least help ease someone’s mind with whatever troubles they had. “Can

 I help you?”

 	“I have a confession to make,” the voice said from the other side.

 It sounded strange, unfamiliar. “I’m in love with another girl. She’s

 all I think about anymore. She’s just perfect. She’s so sweet and

 caring. She would do anything for me. Even though I do some stupid

 things sometimes, she always helps me out of it. I can always come to

 her with my problems and she always listens to me, no matter what

 they are. She can get a little jealous sometimes and she can get me

 to do things without my even knowing she tricked me into it, but it

 all just makes me love her even more. She knows me better than anyone

 else could ever hope to.”

 	Seira felt her heart pounding in her chest. Holding her hands in

 her lap, she tried to come up with a reply. “Are you worried that

 it’s a girl? It sounds like you’re very much in love. I don’t think

 the Lord would ever fault you for such a thing.” 

 	“I’m not worried about that. But I think she is. I think she’s been

 worried about that for some time.”

 	“So she’s afraid that it’s wrong for her to be in love with another

 girl.” Seira sighed, bowing her head. “I know how that feels. But God

 loves all of his children. He isn’t an exclusive being, there only

 for some and not others. I don’t see how being in love can be a sin.

 He’s so loving. He wouldn’t be angry with you for being in love, no

 matter who you’re in love with.”

 	“Really? I wish you could tell her that. I’m so scared that I’m

 going to lose her because of this. And I can’t lose her. I need her.

 More than anything. She makes my life complete. I’d be lost without

 her. She’s always been my guiding light. She’s the one that steers me

 in the right direction.”

 	Standing up, Seira reached for the door. Something about this was

 just too strange. It sounded too familiar. The door opened and she

 stumbled into Saint Tail. The Sister-in-training’s arms flailed as

 she fell against the mysterious thief. Both girls tumbled to the

 floor in a heap. “Meimi-chan?” Seira looked up directly into auburn

 hair. She closed her eyes as it tickled her nose. 

 	“You weren’t supposed to come out yet,” Meimi explained, getting to

 her knees. She smiled at the dark haired girl. “It’s ventriloquism.

 I’ve been practicing. I knew it would come in handy one of these

 days.”

 	“So you were waiting right outside? What in Heaven for?” Seira

 asked, blinking. She slowly gathered up her skirt underneath her,

 still kneeling herself.

 	“For this.” Meimi cupped Seira’s chin, kissing her softly. The

 young nun froze as she kissed her warmly, gloved fingers stroking

 under her chin. Meimi held the kiss, drawing it out before finally

 pulling away. Seira was pleasantly dizzy when she was done. Meimi

 smiled and trailed up to Seira’s lips with her fingertip. “I love

 you, Seira. I need you.”

 	Seira shook her head, slowly getting to her feet. “Meimi-chan.. You

 really shouldn’t do that in here.” She turned her back to the auburn

 haired girl, trying to quell her warring feelings. She held her hands

 to her chest, breathing slowly. 

 	“Why? You said yourself that He wouldn’t fault you for it,” Meimi

 argued. Still Seira looked uncertain. Meimi took her hands, looking

 the dark haired girl in the eye. “Please come with me. Just for now.

 I have to show you something. Ruby has something she wants to show

 you.” Her blue eyes pleaded with Seira until the young nun finally

 relented. She hurried outside, leading Seira into the darkening

 night. Stars already twinkled outside like lanterns in a long and

 dark sea. “Ruby!” Meimi called. The cute little hedgehog ran out from

 behind some bushes, leaping up into Meimi’s waiting hands. “I would

 have done this on my own, but Ruby wanted to come along,” Meimi

 explained. 

 	“Ruby’s always welcome to come along,” Seira said with a smile,

 petting the hedgehog in Saint Tail’s hands. Something glimmered in

 the moonlight, hanging from Ruby’s ribbon. Seira looked at it

 curiously, reaching out. She gently pulled it away from the ribbon,

 holding it up in the dim light. A small gold ring glimmered in her

 hand. Seira opened her mouth but nothing came out. She suddenly felt

 much dizzier than she had after the kiss. She was about to sit down,

 but Meimi took her hands, piercing blue eyes captivating her. She

 could only look back, ring still in hand. 

 	“It’s my mother’s engagement ring. She was actually really for this

 plan when I asked her if I could have it.” Meimi swallowed, licking

 her dry lips. She felt so anxious. She had never before thought of

 doing this, had never thought of how difficult it would be. But the

 thought of losing Seira spurred her on. This was what she wanted, to

 be with Seira forever. Standing there in her Saint Tail tuxedo, it

 seemed all too fitting. “Seira, will you marry me?”

 	Seira stared back in stunned silence. A marriage proposal? Meimi

 was proposing to her? Her cheeks darkened as the thought made its way

 to her heart. “I.. Meimi-chan..” she got out, blushing. “But we

 can’t.” She tried to think, but her mind was paralyzed, trapped on

 the ring and Meimi’s blue orbs. 

 	“I know we can’t legally get married, but I want to marry you,

 Seira. I thought long and hard about this. This is what I want. I

 hope it’s what you want, too. I promise I’ll take care of you. I

 promise I’ll love you forever. I know we’ll have God’s protection on

 this. Just please say yes,” Meimi pleaded, her fingers entwining with

 Seira’s. Her heart hung above infinity as she awaited Seira’s reply,

 her eyes questing into Seira’s for an answer.

 	“Saint Tail! You won’t get away this time!” Asuka Jr. yelled as he

 ran towards the two girls. 

 	Meimi smiled at Seira before taking a step back and turning to

 Asuka Jr. “Sometimes, a magician will reveal her tricks to the

 audience so they can see the illusion for what it is. I’ve played

 this game long enough. Thank you for playing it with me, Asuka Jr. I

 had fun. But I can’t play it anymore.” Reaching up, Meimi pulled out

 her ribbon, her long ponytail spilling behind her. She shook her

 head, her hair fluttering around her. 

 	“Haneoka-san?!” Asuka Jr. stared in amazement. “You.. You’re Saint

 Tail? But how?” For all of this time, there had been hints of Meimi

 in Saint Tail, but he had never been certain. There had always been

 that mystery. But now, the mystery of Saint Tail was laid out right

 in front of him. He could only watch, unsure of what to do. She was

 unmasked. What more could he do?

 	Meimi turned back to Seira, and with a graceful step was right

 against her. Wrapping an arm around Seira’s waist, she held the young

 Sister-in-training tightly. Pulling up her top hat, she counted down.

 “One! Two! Three!” With an impressive burst, a group of colorful

 balloons lifted above them. Meimi grabbed the line as the lifted into

 the air, pulling Seira into the sky with her. 

 	Asuka Jr. watched the two girls float into the air for a long

 moment, watching until they were far out of sight. Collapsing

 backwards, he could only sit there, Saint Tail’s unmasking burned

 into his mind. It was over. The chase had finally ended. He had what

 he wanted. He knew who Saint Tail was. So why did he feel so empty?

 The mystery was gone, the one thing that had kept him on edge, eager

 to find it’s resolution. It really was like finding out how a magic

 trick worked. When you saw it again, the magic was gone. It was

 simply a gesture. Saint Tail was simply Haneoka. There was no magic

 behind it, no mystery anymore. He sighed. He didn’t bother looking

 when someone sat down next to him.

 	“Well.. You know now.” Lina looked up into the heavens, following

 Asuka Jr.'s gaze. “Is it everything you had hoped for?” she asked,

 looking over to him. 

 	“The magic’s gone. She showed me how the magic works. It’s just..

 gone.” Asuka Jr. shook his head, still in shock. “I don’t know where

 to go from here. I don’t know what to do. Saint Tail was everything.

 I finally caught her. I know who she is. Now what? The game’s over.”

 	Lina nodded thoughtfully. She offered a small smile, catching Asuka

 Jr.’s eye. Resting a hand on his, she shrugged. “Real magic doesn’t

 work that way. Real magic doesn’t disappear when you find out what

 causes it.”

 	Asuka Jr. sighed, looking down at Lina’s hand. “I guess you’re

 right. But what do I do now?” He looked up again, seeing Lina bathed

 in moonlight. He didn’t know why, but for the first time, he realized

 how pretty she was.

 	“Keep looking. Saint Tail wasn’t the magic you were looking for. So

 keep looking until you find that magic. Until you find the real

 magic. Magic that won’t disappear when you understand it.” Lina

 smiled, taking his hand in her own.

 	Asuka Jr. nodded, smiling faintly himself. “I’ll keep looking.”

 	

 	Up above, a young Sister-in-training and a mysterious thief floated

 through the air. Seira had been taken by surprise at first, too

 shocked to keep herself from being whisked away by Saint Tail. She

 had had the presence of mind to hold onto the engagement ring,

 luckily. The two hung above, suspended up in a beautiful star

 speckled heaven. Seira sighed, resting against Meimi as she held onto

 her. The two floated quietly for what felt like a beautiful taste of

 eternity. Seira could feel Meimi’s heart beating against her own, a

 thunderous beat against her own. Meimi was usually so much more

 confident as Saint Tail, but it seemed that even that confidence

 couldn’t shield her as she waited anxiously. “I’ll marry you, Meimi-

 chan,” Seira said at last, pulling back enough to look into Meimi’s

 gorgeous blue eyes. She smiled at the look of relief that washed over

 the auburn haired girl’s face. “It’s what I want, too.”

 	Meimi smiled brightly holding Seira even tighter. The future

 suddenly wasn’t weighing upon her shoulders. Instead it made her feel

 lighter than air, drawing her above her worries. The future was no

 longer something to dread, but something to await with each passing

 breath. “Seira..” Meimi felt her heart float joyously like the

 balloons she was holding. “I love you, Seira,” Meimi whispered.

 	Seira’s decision was finally made. She felt free, given the eagle’s

 wings she had sought for so long. Life was the most precious dream.

 She silently thanked the God that she had dedicated her life to for

 this beautiful moment, for letting her future lay with Meimi. That

 future lay before them, unwritten but full of glorious promise and

 wonder. And they would write their future hand in hand. “I love you,

 too, Meimi-chan,” Seira replied, her gray eyes sparkling. Leaning

 forward, she kissed the mysterious thief, her very own not-so-

 mysterious thief with all the love in her heart. With her hands

 behind Meimi’s waist, she slipped on the engagement ring, a thrill

 passing through her as the symbol of their union clasped her finger.

 And so they floated through the skies above, the silhouette of a

 thief and a nun kissing in the light of the moon.