Author's Note "The Victory Lap"

So there you have it, I've successfully turned School Days into Clannad. XD ^_^

A special thanks to Willgm, christian a lebron1, kyrie-lie, Kame Rider Chrome, Radioactive Samurai, zergdramon, Student A, Midnightsn0w, The Blond Writer, and War-Torn Hero for reviewing these stories, favoriting, following and being so supportive. And a special shout out to sachi48 for inspiring me to write this extension. I don't know where you are sachi, but I hope you're reading. Drop me a line sometime.

Like I said before, no bloodshed, a little sweat, and apparently a lot of tears. I don't think I've written so many cry scenes into a story before. I guess you could say Eiichi has a very cry…into-able…chest? The girls just can't resist, much to Koto's frustration. And hopefully some laughs on your part. I was laughing, quite a bit.

I did not think this thing would turn out so long. This became a 200 page novel! I was just going for romance/humor/slice of life, but damn…

I hope you guys enjoyed seeing Kotonoha and Eiichi in a brighter light and growing strong together. If I had my way, and both stories were made into an anime offshoot of the series, I'd want to create an AMV montage of all the goofy scenes, with "I Believe" by Stephen Bennett as the theme.

I understand that a lot of you were more interested in the situation with Otome and Taisuke, and may have been expecting more explosiveness with the story, and I'm sorry if I disappointed you, but I did say before that this was going to be more laid back. The main focus was Koto and Eiichi bringing Roka and Yuuki together, with Otome and Taisuke adding a little suspense. If I wanted to create a more devastating plot, I would have probably added in a few more antagonists and had some things happen that would make drastic changes, and not for the good. I'm satisfied with how it turned out. It was more heartwarming and funny to me, which is what I aimed for.

Kotonoha & Eiichi

These two, ha-ha! Oh man these two. I had so much fun writing them. They were, to me, the ideal relationship. Every relationship is different, but take away the trials they faced, take away their habits and quirks, and you have two devoted people, who just want to take care of each other. The perfect contrast to what we've seen with a lot of the characters from the twelve episode canon. In my opinion, that is how it should be. Could I have worked with Kotonoha being Eiichi's girl and still being her timid self, likely, and I would have found ways to make that funny as well, but not after everything I put them through, including what she already experienced in the original series. That shit changes people, no matter how you look at it. In this, I depicted Kotonoha as strong and confident, but still an introvert, who likes her own way of doing things and doesn't mind being alone. She's gentle and kind hearted most of the time, but when she's around Eiichi, she knows how to let loose and express herself more, because he's special to her. For Eiichi, it looks like being around Koto brought out his trust. For someone who always knows when people are lying, it must be tough. She also gave him stability, but I guess they gave each other more of that. She taught him how to let out more of his soft side and not be the hardheaded vagrant all the time.

Yuuki & Eiichi

I had a lot of fun with these two. It was like the team that I didn't see coming until when I first learned about Yuuki, and then it clicked in my head. They're polar opposites, but their virtues are the same, so they work perfectly together. To me, Yuuki is seriously like the younger brother that Eiichi never had. I have to admit, these two were really rough starting out. I had to break them up a few times because they kept winding up in fist fights, and I'm not kidding. One night I was in my den, halfway through a scene. I had everything planned out well in my head, things were going smoothly, so I decided to take a break and get another beer. I walk back in and they're at each other's throats - "I leave you two alone for five minutes!" "He started it!" Maybe I should lay off the whiskey and Irish music when I write. I really wanted to write a fight between them, but I also wanted to see if I could get through this one without any of that. Plus a fight would've taken away some of the lines I wanted to put in and some humor as well. A good fight would clear the air though, and I'm sure they wind up in one somewhere down the road. Eiichi is the better fighter, but Yuuki is a tough little bastard, and if he could get a good tackle in on Eiichi, he'd give him a run for his money. However, I can also see them sharing a drink at Wolf Man's Sushi Bar after working hard on a manuscript, as writer and editor.

Roka & Yuuki

I really wish these two could have gotten more time together as a couple in this, but things were obviously coming to a close. It was pretty obvious it was going to happen. These two are just adorable together, and as they mature more, Yuuki knows all the right buttons to push to defuse the Roka bomb.

Chie & Torio

These two sort of just happened. It did not cross my mind until I was writing the scene when Eiichi suggested it. I can't believe I didn't see it before, but I love how you find little surprises like that while you write. It really helped to create this little trio of couples, all tied together in one way or another. As I've shown, because these two are so much alike, it's like they operate on this 'other level' where they communicate so well it's scary.

Otome -"Mrs. Rita" by Gin Blossoms-

Ah…Otome…I knew she would come around. What we have here folks, is the classic 'bully becomes best friends with their former prey' scenario, and it's a personal favorite of mine. There's nothing like burying the hatchet after a good fight. I guess I got a little attached to Otome after Eiichi foiled her plans with the 'rest area'. And after learning more about her home life, not to mention how she felt about Makoto having his way with her and then tossing her aside with the rest, I realized this was a spirit that needed saving ("And then you really might know what it's like…what it's like…" - Everlast). I didn't like her in canon, but writing this helped me to learn she just needed better influences in her life. I know I've said that I want to take a break from this fandom in the past, and I am, but I've recently conjured some more plans for Otome in her very near future as a second year. I'm looking at a short story featuring Otome and a certain someone who was mentioned in this final chapter, and how she discovered a love that was more wholesome and rewarding. She's just now learning to reveal her tender side through being around her new set of kind, ragtag friends. I think they're going to show her more of what she was missing in her life. -"Is she comin' 'round for me once again? Around, or was that the endin'? I just hope she's comin' 'round again."-

I know I went pretty slice of life with this one and I hope I was able to keep it interesting. I love slice of life anime, they're pretty much what I mostly watch, but I know they can be dull for some folks. I've written a human interest only once in my career, and that was years ago, so I hope my ability hasn't grown weak in that area. I plan on writing several different types of manga/anime in the future, slice of life being one of them.

Man writing this was fun, but I am tired and I'm looking forward to taking a long rest and giving my creativity gland a break. I definitely need to take a break from this fandom for a while. For now, I'm going to kick back, open an Oktoberfest, and read some of your guys' stories, as well as get started on my Fall anime lineup. My favorite season, autumn, is here, and I have a lot to look forward to with that.

If I could pick a theme song(s) for Eiichi, my first choice would be Tool's "Lateralus":

"Black then white are all I see in my infancy/red and yellow then came to be, reaching out to me, lets me see/As below, so above and beyond, I imagine/drawn beyond the lines of reason/Push the envelope, watch it bend—(2:32)Over thinking, over analyzing separates the body from the mind/Withering my intuition, missing opportunities and I must/Feed my will to feel my moment drawing way outside the lines—(7:16)With my feet upon the ground I move myself between the sounds and open wide to suck it in/I feel it move across my skin/I'm reaching up and reaching out/I'm reaching for the random or what ever will bewilder me/what ever will bewilder me…" I can just see Eiichi placing his fingers on his temples and a transparent third eye materializing over his forehead. The others would be "Vortex Mind" and "In the Fading Light" by Andy James.

Soundtrack (hehe):

"Faith's Waltz"; "C is Chloe" - Stephen Bennett (Chpt 1)

"The Path of the Traveller" - Owen Van Larkins: This one really brought out the emotions for me in chapter two. Kokoro may have not been around for all the horror, but she didn't need to be, she witnessed it through her sister. (Chpt 2)

"Puzzles" - Craig D'Andrea (Chpt 3)

"Stomp" - Owen Van Larkins: For some reason this one sounds like something you would end an evening television show with while they're rolling credits. I guess that's why I threw it in, because Eiichi was watching an evening show. (Chpt 3)

"Sliabh Gal Cua/Kishor's Tune" - Tony McManus: I usually listening to this and imagine traveling [through the craggy regions of Scotland or the rolling hills of Ireland], but it made for a good piece during the conversation between Roka and Eiichi. (Chpt 4)

"Irene Meldrum's Welcome to Bon Accord" - Tony McManus: The same goes for this one, only I imagine a sunset/sunrise in a castle courtyard or through a row of trees at the edge of a forest, but it sounded good for Eiichi's resolution to Roka's problem. (Chpt 4)

"Cuach Mo Lon Dubh Bui"; "Roaring Waters" - Altan, "The Crows of Killimer/Box Reel #2/Boys of Malin/The Opera House" - Solas (Chpt 5)

"Born to Raise Hell" - Motorhead: Yuuki's plans coming into full swing, hehehe (Chpt 6)

"No More Mr. Nice Guy" - Megadeth (Alice Cooper Cover): Definitely a good theme for Yuuki. (Chpt 6)

"Bella's Song" - Andy James: This song is for my OC Manami. (Chpt 7)

"Desperate Fishwives" - Old Blind Dogs: Roka's tears. (Chpt 7)

"Jacob's Ladder" - Chimp Spanner: I threw this in for the flashbacks Eiichi had because the song itself is a flashback to the old story for me. (Chpt 8)

"Sir Steven Huska of Bryce Canyon" - Old Blind Dogs: I could totally hear this while Yuuki and Eiichi were learning more and more about how much they each had in common through their kind reconciliation with each other. (Chpt 8)

"What Goes Around - My Name is Earl Theme" - Nescobar-a-lop-lop: Haha, so when I wrote the scene with Eiichi telling Yuuki he was going to get him to confess to Koto, I had My Name is Earl running through my head, because Earl usually ends up doing ridiculous stuff like that. (Chpt 8)

"I Believe" - Stephen Bennett: This is mainly for Yuuki's goofy, failed confession, but I could also see it for a compilation AMV of all the ridiculous scenes I had lined up in this extension. (Chpt 9)

"99 Ways to Die"; "Skin O' My Teeth" - Megadeth: Don't piss off Kotonoha. (Chpt 9)

"Koto" - Hunter Van Larkins: I couldn't help it. I've known this song for two years now and completely forgot about it, and after listening, I figured it fit with Kotonoha's soothing nature, and how she always raises Eiichi's spirits. (Chpt 9)

"Shinmiri" - Kikuya Tomoki (Hidamari Sketch OST): Oh yeah! Date time for Koto and Eiichi. (Chpt 10)

"Honey" - Van Larkins: I'm sure this is how Yuuki was feeling after Roka kissed him. (Chpt 11)

"Neanderthal" - Kaki King (Chpt 12)

"Skimming the Fractured Surfaces to a Place of Endless Light" Kaki King: Best wishes and first kisses. (Chpt 12)

"Epiphany" - Staind (Chpt 12)

"Brain Damage" - Pink Floyd (Chpt 13)

"Heather's Song" - Andy McKee: I could see this being Otome's song, she's a tough girl in a very tender state, and things are just beginning to look up for her. (Chpt 14)

"Bridge Over Troubled Waters" - Black Label Society (Chpt 15)

"For Word" - Craig D'Andrea: This is a nice summertime, going to the beach song to me, so it was perfect for when everyone was packing up to go to Shimoda. (Chpt 15)

"Grady Fernando Comes to Town" - Solas: I used this song for Koto and Eiichi's first date, back in the old story, but to me it really signifies getting ready to go someplace fun, so I inserted it for when everyone was packing up for their vacation to Shimoda Beach. (Chpt 15)