This is my first Jigoku Shoujo/Hell Girl one-shot~ :3 Please enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Jigoku Shoujo or any of its characters. Or~ I own nothing at all.

I lied silently on a soft bed of green grass as I watch the hundreds of pretty butterflies flutter in the vast cerulean sky. My lone sailor uniform felt cold when the wind came in contact with it. That's where I decided, that I needed to go home and change. It was... one of the days I've wanted to wait for. A day off - even if it's just for a day. My companions, Wanyuudou, Ichimoku Ren, and Hone-Onna were busy with their specific reasons. And Kikuri enjoyed her attachment to her bicycle along with Yamawaro tailing her. Leaving them to their own business in the living world, I returned to my home in the never-ending twilight of sunset to where Grandma was.

"I'm back." I said, entering the perched structure that I use as my home with Grandma. "Welcome back, Ai." Grandma greeted from outside, continuing her endless thread spinning. "Grandma, I will be using my kimono today." I informed while I shift my sight to the silhoutted shadow behind the paper screen.

"Okay, Ai, I'll leave your nagajuban here." Grandma instructed. "Thank you, Grandma" I walked to my closet-filled kimonos. I stared, for a moment, at the kimonos I wore in my early days being Hell Girl. I finally picked out my kimono that bore the same shade of red similar to those of the newly plucked cherries possessed. I chose my old kimono that held floral designs that seemed to shine in the dim light of the eternal sunset. I took my time to dress up in it, as I traced the "V" shape that started around my neck down to my chest, I was done in no time.

"I'll be back, Grandma." I said lastly before closing the sliding door behind me. I didn't bother to look back at the slumbering god of hell, who was hanging onto his spider thread throughout it all. I walked on the path leading out of that world, a friendly breeze greeted my face while my kimono-wrapped body remained immune to the coolness. I watched the red flowers, that I would treat with care, bobbed as they were the target of the wind's direction.

I listened to my sandals as they clicked and clacked against the hard path. "Wanyuudou," I remembered, how long was it to deliver the client's vengeance, when I haven't invited Wanyuudou to become my chariot yet. And also, the time where I've recruited him from the hot springs.

My nose suddenly caught scent of what smelled like flowers and a pond. I closed my eyes to save the feeling I've just received. I noticed the atmosphere of my surroundings began to change. I opened my eyes to find myself in a forest of the human world, it was spring, and I felt calm just gazing at the butterflies that came my way. I looked at them as they touched every bloomed flower they would come their way. I urged myself to move deeper to where the trees were huddled together, at first, there was a feeling of doubt in my head, but still, I continued.

A humongous cherry blossom tree startled me, it was peaceful - yet, it hurt. I didn't want to remember, no, I don't want to remember it.. Never, definitely not. I stopped myself from producing rivers of tears as one by one, my tragic past began to replay itself. No matter how long it has been, the pain would never go away, it won't... But I want to forget it.. Again.

From the heaviness of my grief and hatred, I lost my balance, but thankfully and somehow coincidentally, plopped myself safely on a very large stone, I removed my palms from my eyes and saw the many little plants, taping their roots onto the rock. On the left side, it was cupped together with bundles of toadstools and the remaining were composed of either daffodils or tulips. The remorseful memory disappeared again and I've regained my consciousness - all because of a rock.

I stood up from it and gazed back at the peculiar rock. "Ichimoku Ren..." I subconsciously whispered from my breath. Now I remember, it was like the time where I've had unleashed Ishimoto Ren, as a katana, from the rock where his blood-stained owner had left him when he was slain.

"Mushrooms... Yamawaro." I turned to the little fungus' appearance. One of my companions, Yamawaro, had a tragic past, like me, Wanyuudou, Ichimoku Ren, and of course, Hone - Onna. Before he joined me, he was a wandering ghost of a lost boy in the mountains, but he looked like walking piles of mushrooms for people who would've caught sight of him. Thanks to him, Kikuri doesn't interfere more frequently with my clients.

And so, I carried on my journey to avoid sight contact with the said tree. I ventured in a deep but bright swamp where, my sandal was caught hold by a lump of mud on the bank. I almost tripped and stained my red kimono as I pulled it out from the bubbling clay onwards. Vines from a swamp tree were dangling downwards as if they were ready to grab an innocent passer-by and stalks of overgrown grass covered the part of the swampy edges. I continued to traverse through the dirty maze. The sun light served as my guide. When I reached a different terrain, I looked back at the mudful pond.

"Hone-Onna." I whispered. That right, this place was quite similar to the swamp where I've invited Sone Anna to become one of my allies. Truly, her past was one of the saddest. Betrayal is something that's not easy to forgive, even if it was done by your lover or a precious friend. But, if she hadn't experienced something that sorrowful, I wouldn't have gotten a chance to hold her hand and become hope.

Finally, I found a cherry bush nearby. I started to pluck them one by one, they were fresh. I tasted one to cofirm it, but due to fate's actions, my tongue, instead, pushed it out. It landed a few inches away from my sandals. Then I took another one, this time it was a success, and yes, the cherries were delicious. I thought about bringing them home. I found a huge leaf, perfect for cherry carriage and I started to pull cherries of their stems as I dropped them in the leaf.

"Ojou," I heard Wanyuudou's voice. I turned around to see my companions right behind me. "Why are you here?" I asked. "We were going to ask that to you." Hone-Onna said. "I heard you call us, Ojou." Ichimoku Ren informed. "Haaa... You didn't call Kikuri!" Kikuri pouted, slowly her movements began to slow down. "Warowaro! Wind me up!" She ordered the young boy with a pair of yellow eyes. "Okay, Princess." Yamawaro replied, winding up Kikuri again.

"I didn't call anyone of you." I said, continuing to stare at them. "Cherries! Kikuri wants to crush them! Let me at them!" Kikuri angrily said. "Stop it." I ordered. "Princess! You musn't!" Yamawaro stopped Kikuri halfway from rolling over the cherries I picked up on the leaf. "I can't?" Kikuri asked with despair. "You can't." I nodded.

"Please go back to whatever you were currently doing." I said. "Warowaro! Let's go exploring!" Kikuri insisted, stirring her bicycle to another direction. "Wait, Princess!" Yamawaro dashed with Kikuri. And they disappeared, leaving me alone with Wanyuudou, Ichimoku Ren, and Hone-Onna.

I looked back at them, waiting for a response of some kind. "We're not leaving you, Ojou." Hone-Onna said. "Yeap, we'll be staying here." Ichimoku Ren added. Wanyuudou laughed. I nodded and offered them my leaf of cherries. They freely tasted it with delight.

"Hehe..Now I know why the Ojou likes cherries." Wanyuudou smiled. "The taste is good. And the redness really brings out her eyes. " Ichimoku Ren complemented. "Yes, you're right!" Hone-Onna agreed.

Suddenly, Yamawaro came back running along with Kikuri tailing him on her bicycle. "Can I have one too?" He cheerfully asked. I nodded and gave him a cherry. I noticed, Kikuri began to pout at the enjoyment of everyone. "Hmph! Is that really yummy?" She asked with disdain.

"Here, Princess. Try one." Yamwaro insisted, hanging a cherry over at Kikuri's hand. "You sure?" She gazed at the scarlet pulp in front of her. "If you try it, you might like it." I finally said. "Okay then!" Kikuri grabbed and ate the cherry. "Yuummyy.." She gushed.

"Ne, Wanyuudou. If the Ojou didn't call us in the first place, why were we attracted to that destination?" Ichimoku Ren asked curiously. "Hmm... It seems that Ojou wants us to be with her during her only day off." Wanyuudou answered. "Huh? But doesn't she mostly tell us to go about our own business?" Hone-Onna's eyes widened from surprise.

"Probably, Ojou cares about us." Yamawaro said. "Ohh..." Everyone said. "We are more than companions to her now I guess." Ichimoku Ren breathed. "That's true, the Ojou treats us like family, if you say it." Wanyuudou smiled. "I have to say, if it wasn't for Ojou we wouldn't have been saved." Hone-Onna said. Everyone nodded "That's why, we should give our thanks to her." Ichimoku Ren thought out. "We should." Wanyuudou replied.

"Ne, Yamawaro, where's Kikuri?" Hone-Onna asked, looking around. "Ahh, she's with the Ojou." He answered. "Ohh, I see. It's been long since those two were left alone." Wanyuudou said. "Hmmm..." Ichimoku Ren sighed.

"Kikuri is here!" Kikuri shouted from behind the four as she drove onto their presence. "Speak of the devil." Wanyuudou smirked. "Where's the Ojou?" Ichimoku Ren asked. "I'm here." A voice replied. Everyone turned to a sudden appearance of a figure beside them.

"Ahh, Ojou. We have something to say." Hone-Onna said. "What is it?" Ai asked. Wanyuudou, Ichimoku Ren, Hone-Onna, and Yamawaro all turned to Enma Ai, bowed their heads and said in unison: "Thank you very much for everything!" Making Ai stare at them in silence. "Haa~ What is that all about?" Kikuri pouted from the attention they were giving Ai. "Let's go back..." Ai said, turning her steps back to opposite direction.

"Well, that was a waste." Sighed Hone-Onna. "Nope," Wanyuudou grinned. "Why?" Asked Ichimoku Ren. "Deep inside... I can hear Ojou's heart smiling with happiness." He replied. "Me too." Yamawaro said as the four watched their Ojou walk back from where she came from. "Kikuri! Play with Kikuri!" Kikuri demanded. "Okay, Princess." Yamawaro replied while he and Kikuri went to the nearest park.

"You're welcome... And thank you also."

Thanks for reading^^ Please review~~ Hope you liked it :3