Memory

Author's Note: So, I decided to do a few one shots with my characters from my main fanfiction, "The Blinding Book." I hope that you like them, but I recommend NOT reading this if you haven't read what I have of "The Blinding Book". ^_^

Disclaimer: I don't own Zatch Bell and yada yada, but I DID make Rita, Sorella, and such and such, so please don't take them.

Rita was running down the street, soft, chin-length brown hair bobbing against her round face. She was wearing a large smile and had a book her in her hand, something she couldn't wait to get home and read. She had gotten a call yesterday from the library, and her mom said she could go and pick up the book when she was done from school.

Rita laughed to herself, hugging the book closer to her chest, ignoring the thumping of her backpack on her back as well as the heavy thumping of her heavily beating heart. Rita turned a corner and started rushing down the sidewalk of the street she lived on, seeing her house on the corner, surrounded by the short, wooden fence and multitudes of flowers.

"Mom!" she called as she fumbled with the gate latch. "I'm ba..." but Rita stopped mid-sentence, something having caught her attention from the far off tree.

She could have sworn she saw a girl of about 17, 18 years old standing on a tree branch, watching her...

"Rita?" he mom asked her worriedly, seeing her gaze off into space. "Are you okay?"

Her mom had been fussier than Rita remembered, like she couldn't stand to let Rita out of her sight... but that girl... looked so... familiar...

"I thought I saw a girl over there," Rita said, pointing to the now empty tree. "She was sad... but..."

"But?"

"She was smiling," Rita said, turning to her mother, surprised by the equally sad look on her face. "Why was she smiling if her eyes were so sad?"

Christina, opening the gate and pulling her daughter close to her chest, kissed Rita's hair, attempting to hide the face she knew that Rita would notice. It was a face that knew more than she was telling, that was for sure.

"Maybe it was your sister," Christina mumbled. "Maybe you saw her spirit watching you from Heaven!"

Rita looked up at her mom with large brown eyes.

"You really think so?" she asked, smiling. "That would be nice, because I've never met sister, you said she can't see me anymore because of that accident..."

"Yes, your sister saved you from that car a long time ago," Christina replied quietly. "She loved you very much, and she continues watching over you!"

Rita frowned, "Is it my fault? I can't remember her at all because I bumped my head and lost my memory of her... but she died helping me, is it my fault?"

Christina gasped and held Rita closer, seeing the small girl's eyes tear up.

"No, honey, of course not! It was your sister's choice, and if she had to choose all over again, she would do nothing different! And do you know why?"

"Because I'm happy and alive," Rita answered automatically, looking up at her mother. "But if she's happy that I'm happy, then why was she sad?"

Christina smiled softly, whispering, "Because she misses you, but she knows that you're happy, so that makes everything she did worth it. She'll check on you from time to time, but you can't talk to her. She'll make sure you're happy, and that makes her happy!"

Rita smiled and nodded, "I feel like a lot of times I get really close to remembering her... I remember her hugs and smiles a lot... her eyes are goldish and shaped like mine! And monopoly!"

Christina laughed, pulling Rita's hand with her.

"Come on, I bet you're dying to read that book!"

"Maybe I can read it out loud so the three of us can hear it! You, me, and sister's spirit!"

Christina smiled tenderly. "She would like that very much, I think."

Rita smiled to herself. Even if she barely remembered her sister, she had glimpses and flashes of her face when she slept. Moreover, she knew that her sister loved her.

That was all Rita needed to know. All her memory needed to remember.