KOF Extras

Bora Bora Birthdays (Part 2)

11 March
The Lons and Ash made all the arrangements for a beach party, with Elisabeth and Adalene helping as well. Ash gleefully rubbed his hands together as he waited with Shen while the Lons went off to get Duo.
"This is gonna be fun, isn't it?" Ash grinned. "It's a good thing we put up this canopy. The weather would be really hot in the afternoon."
Shen nodded, squinting his eyes slightly since the morning sun was also hot. "Yeah. I spotted a giant bottle of sunscreen in the room yesterday. I'm not even surprised."
"Yeah, the guy is paler than me," Ash agreed. "But he still likes the beach, unlike someone else we know."
"How are they holding up?" Shen sounded mildly concerned.
Ash shrugged. "Adel was complaining about the baker not having candied rose petals. He says they were gonna make some from scratch."
"Wouldn't that take long? Like, those things need to be preserved, right?"
"God knows," Ash snorted. "Alright, now for Dewey."
Ash stretched his arms back and yawned. Shen suddenly gasped and gave Ash a dig in the ribs, making the younger man wince mid-stretching.
"Why?" Ash asked, giving Shen's arm a backhand.
Shen pulled him closer and pointed into the distance, where a woman with a headful of raven hair sat lounging on the sand. "Isn't that..."
"Luan..." Ash groaned worriedly. "What is she doing here?"
Without warning, Shen ran down the sand, unsteadily, and fell down right beside the lady. He stood up and straightened himself.
"Luan?!" Shen exclaimed. "Why are you here?"
Luan looks at him in surprise. "What, is this your beach?"
"No?" Shen said, confused.
Luan smirked as she turned back to watching the waves. "Then I don't have to answer you."
Shen looked at her in surprise, scratching his head as he turned towards the canopy where Ash stood watching.
"Why is your friend talking to that girl?" Ash jumped when Saiki spoke.
He turned to his ancestor. "That's Luan, one of Dewey's old friends."
"Well, then call her over," Saiki grinned. "She must've come for the party."
"No," Ash shook his head. "Psych, that lady... she wants to avenge her mother."
Saiki still didn't understand. "What does that have to do with anything?"
Ash grabbed his ancestor by the shoulders. "Because the one who killed her... was Ron."
"What?" Saiki was taken aback. "Why?"
"Because of your stupid friend, Rambutan," Ash said.
Saiki was even more surprised. "What? Rambutan?"
"BOTAN!" Ash shook his shoulders, much to his surprise. "Mon dieu, Psych, you still don't get it? Your friend had him in the grips of her ropes, puppeteering Ron to act upon her orders!"
"Botan did that?" Saiki said in surprise. "Oh gosh..."
Ash rolled his eyes as he let go of his shoulders. "Oh sure, like you didn't do worse things."
Saiki turned to the sea to look at Luan, only to see Shen walking back to the tent and leaving her behind. "What did she say?" He asked the Shanghai man.
Shen shrugged. "She asked me to leave her alone."
Ash sighed and grabbed Saiki's arm. "Psych, it's not your fault she did that. Don't blame yourself for that."
Saiki sighed tiredly. "I know. It just makes me regret having company with people like that."
Ash couldn't help but snort. "Come on, at least you have better company now."
Saiki turned to look at him and smiled. "I do. And I have Mikia too."
Mikia heard him from where she sat with her baby beside Elisabeth and smiled at her husband.

Duo was shocked when his father and sister ambushed him during a reading session, urgently calling for him to follow them. Thinking it had something to do with Luan, he panicked and immediately raced off to change into a loose t-shirt and Bermuda shorts before following them out of the chalet.
"What's this about, did something happen?" Duo Lon asked for the umpteenth time. "Is everything okay?"
"Just come with us," Xiao said, pulling his arm. "It's kinda urgent."
"What happened?" Duo Lon asked, his stomach taking a leap.
Ron placed his hands on his son's shoulders and pushed him forward as well, much to Duo's surprise. He wasn't sure what's in store for him, he wasn't sure if it was good or bad.
But Lin's words still lingered in his mind.
"Where are we going?" Duo asked again.
"The beach," Xiao said.
"The beach? But why?" To make things worse, Duo even forgot to apply sunscreen in his hustle to get out and follow them.
Xiao realised it as well. "You wearing sunscreen?"
Duo shook his head. "No, I forgot."
"You can use mine," Xiao said as she went on to drag him. "Just hurry along, something awaits us."
"Is it a good thing?" Duo couldn't help but ask.
None of them answered, leaving the tension to linger around Duo.
They arrived at the beach and seemed to perk up slightly. Duo couldn't help but notice a woman with jet black hair leaning against the one of the poles that supported a canopy. He felt chills run down his spine as his family members led him right to the tent.
"Well, if it isn't the renown Duo Lon," Luan remarked just as they neared the canopy.
Duo twisted out of his sister's grasp and stood in front of his father. "Luan, I won't let you hurt my father."
Luan scoffed and turned away, taking a sip from her paper cup. "Get a grip, why would I do that?" She said after swallowing the iced soda.
"What?" Ron was just as surprised. "You knew about it?"
"Why wouldn't I?" Luan shrugged. "I'm one of the Heavenly Kings of the Flying Brigands, of course I do." She sighed and came towards them. "I've heard what Botan had done, and I've taken care of her."
Duo just realised that he had no clue what became of the bob-haired woman after they took her into the Hizoku Clan. He wasn't going to question what Luan had done to her, not that he actually cared. Botan deserved whatever Luan did to her.
"And as for you, Ron, I am truly sorry for what you went through because of her," Luan told Ron. "I shouldn't have come at you like that, it wasn't your fault."
Ron wasn't sure if he should be relieved or feel even worse for what he had done. "I'm... I'm really sorry for your mother. It may not have been me who killed her, but she still did get killed in my hands. I'm sorry."
Luan shook her head. "Don't be."
"Luan!" A woman's voice called.
The young woman turned around to wave at someone. She turned back to the Lons, a smile on her face. "That's my mother."
"She's alive?" Duo said in surprise.
Luan nodded, smiling. "Yeah. The same thing that happened to your friends here happened to her as well."
"Ah, KOF," Ash remarked as Luan ran off. "The tournament where the craziest of things happen."
Duo looked at him in surprise, remembering the 'urgent' situation. "Wait... why are we here again?"
Xiao suddenly appeared, holding a cake. "For this!"
"Surprise, Dewey!" Ash excitedly announced. "And we're having a beach party!"
"Why?" Duo asked, forgetting what day it is due to all the commotion.
"Your birthday, dude," Shen chuckled, putting an around his shoulders to bring him towards the canopy.
Luan soon returned with her mother, smiling. Ron decided it was best to apologise to the older woman, glad that the damage was somehow undone. The others sang happy birthday for Duo and he blew out the candles before cutting up the cake and serving it.
Duo Lon smiled as he realised how his childhood friendship with Luan was rekindled now on his birthday. Maybe he could catch up on the years they lost together while being apart.
"So... what brings you here to Tahiti?" Duo asked applying the sunscreen that he borrowed from his sister. "Lin told me that he came to know that you were here, but he didn't seem to know the reason as well. You're on holiday?"
Luan shrugged. "Kinda, but the real reason I came here is you."
"Me?" Duo was a little flattered.
"Yeah," Luan nodded. "I felt bad for ditching you right after that incident, as if you had anything to with that. I shouldn't have treated you that way, you didn't deserve that."
Duo shook his head, handing the bottle of sunscreen back to his sister as she walked past them. "Oh come on, no one would be able to think straight in such circumstances. I had a lot going on at that time as well."
Luan smiled sheepishly. "So... does that mean we're friends again?"
"When were we not friends?" Duo smirked. He turned to look at the beach, the sun still a little tame due to the early hours. "Wanna go for a swim?"
Luan turned to the sea as well, watching as the waves gently washed against the sand. She smiled as she turned back to Duo. "Sure. That sounds lovely."
Just as the two of them walked out from the canopy's shade, the whole party ran towards the sea, cheering excitedly. Duo and Luan watched in surprise before exchanging looks.
"Yeah, how about over there?" Luan said, pointing to another part of the beach. "That part's fairly empty."
Duo shrugged and tied his hair up into a giant bun before going over to the sea alongside his old friend.