On a rainy day, four teenagers were seen walking away from a high school. One held a pink umbrella, one green, one blue and one black. They were heading back home from a rough day at school when the one under the pink umbrella named Tohru Honda looked up at the sky.

"Ah it's raining…" she said with her usual smile.

The girl under the black umbrella named Lailah Honda blinked and looked up at the sky as well. She groaned "This can't be good for my heal-…" she was interrupted by a sharp sneeze which she covered with her free hand.

Tohru blinked at her sister, "Onee-chan? Are you ok…?" she asked in a worried tone. Lailah nodded, rubbing her nose.

"Yes…I'm fine you don't need to worry about me Tohru-neechan…" she said and started to sneeze again.

The one under the blue umbrella named Kyo Sohma raised an eyebrow, "Hm…you don't look fine…" he said a bit weakly. Being the cat of the zodiac he didn't do well under rainy conditions.

Lailah coughed and shook her head. "No…no I…I'm alright…" she said as they continued walking.

Tohru looked at her sister in disbelief but replied "Oh…ok." She said; ready to help her if she needs any.

After only a few minutes of walking, Lailah had another sneezing fit. This time it was louder and rougher than before. She dropped to her knees, her umbrella slipping out of her hand as she covered her mouth and nose. Her vision became blurry when she looked up, "I guess I'm not so…ok…" she said weakly, sitting on her knees. The sleeve of her boys' uniform's sweater was soaked with her saliva and nose fluids.

Just then a hand was in front of her face, she looked up. Kyo was looking away from her, a hand in his pocket with the other held out for her to take. He had a distant expression on his face, as he usually does.

Lailah smiled brightly and took his hand a bit weakly. She pulled herself up with his help, as she stood she had another sneezing fit and instinctively wrapped her arms around his arm to keep her standing steady.

She was surprised to see he didn't shove her off, he only looked away. "I'll…help you…I guess…" he said a bit shyly, making her smile. Lailah nodded, as blurry as her vision was, and how dizzy she was, she could find herself appreciating him being there to help.

'Thank you…Kyo…' she thought, smiling up at his turned face. She couldn't make out his expression so she didn't know he was smiling softly.

Tohru smiled at them, clapping her hands together. Yuki was surprised, he then smiled softly, and it faded away in an instant as they started walking back. Unknown to them, someone was watching from afar.

As they reached home she noticed someone standing in the doorway. "Kyo-kun~" said a girl's voice. Looking up with most of her strength she saw Kagura.

Kyo blinked and started to panic "Kagura! What the hell are you doing here?!" he yelled, kind of forgetting Lailah was still clutching his arm for support.

Kagura giggled "I came to see you silly!" she said in a slight sing-song voice. She then blinked, seeing Lailah.

Lailah's face was pale, her eyes wouldn't stay open and her legs were ready to fall out from under her. Kagura gasped "Lailah-chan! What happened!?" she yelled and then glared at Kyo.

Knowing what was going to happen, Lailah un-held Kyo's arm and held the doorway for support instead. Lailah held her hand out and held Kagura by the shoulder.

"Kagura-chan it's not Kyo's fault…" she said with a weak smile.

Kagura blinked, looking at her "Well then…what happened?" she asked. Lailah chuckled slightly, "Oh this always happens when I get sick…" she coughed into her sleeve and continued, "I train and get strong but I can't handle a simple cold…" she chuckled, coughing.

Kagura looked at her a bit sadly, "Well…I-I'll help you get upstairs." She said and wrapped Lailah's hand around her shoulder. The whole time Kyo had been watching he had a few thoughts drift through his mind.

'That's strange…she seems so strong but…when it comes down to getting a cold…' he thought and shook his head, walking inside.

Kagura helped Lailah up onto her bed, laying her down. Lailah smiled weakly at her. "Thank you Kagura-chan…if I get a little rest I'll feel better." She said and closed her eyes.

Kagura nodded and there was a sound of a door closing.

Suddenly only a few hours into her sleep she opened her eyes. Something in her gut told her something was terribly wrong.

She sat up in the bed, not fully rested she still felt weak. 'Why do I have such a bad feeling…?' she thought and noticed how quiet the house was. Figuring she should check it out she walked downstairs, clutching to the wall for support.

"Onee-chan…? Kyo…? Shigure…? Yuki…?" she called, there was no answer. A rush of horror filled her gut as she walked closer to the entrance. She was still holding onto walls for support.

As she reached the entrance she saw a strange sight. Kyo was standing in the rain, in front of a man Lailah had never seen of before. 'What's going on…?' she thought, looking from the two. She couldn't hear what they were saying since she couldn't focus on their words outside of her own dizziness. Her eyes widened and she blinked as the man grabbed Kyo's wrist, saying a few words he pulled the bead bracelet he wore off.

And like a nightmare Kyo started to yell, smoke was forming all around his body as he held his face in his hands. "DON'T LOOK AT ME!" he yelled to the heavens above.

Lailah didn't know what to do. She only watched in horror, a hand cupped over her mouth and tears forming in her eyes.

The transformation was complete and Lailah was staring at what had been Kyo Sohma. 'Wha…what happened…to him…?' she thought, staring in disbelief.

Kyo snapped his head at her; she stared into the eyes of a monster. Suddenly without a word he ran off, heading deep into the forest.

Lailah's eyes widened and she extended her hand out. "Kyo!" she yelled and stepped out of the house, the rain pouring down on her already freezing body. Her tears mixed with the rain as she stared, she stared at the place from which he had run. 'What should I do…?' She thought, panicked. 'He was in pain…so much pain…I saw them reflected in his eyes…'

The man she had never met before walked up behind her, staring in the same direction. "You now saw Kyo's true form…the curse of the cat. Was he a monster to you? Do you wish to run and never come back?" he said.

Lailah stared for a second and clenched her teeth. "No…No!" she yelled and glared at the man, tears streaming down her cheeks. "Kyo's my best friend! I don't care what he is! I'm going to help him!" she yelled and ran off in Kyo's direction.

"Kyo…Kyo…Kyo!" she yelled, her breathing started to get heavy, her lungs were screaming in agony. That's when her eyes widened; she dropped to her knees and clutched her hands over her mouth. She started to cough, but it wasn't like before. No…It was much worse. She looked blurrily down at her hands and they started to shake, blood stained her palms.

"No…" she whispered and started coughing once more, tears streaming down her cheeks. "I can't leave yet…I need to protect those that I love…" she whispered and pulled herself to her feet.

"Hm…well looks like we have a predicament on our hands…" said an evil voice.

Lailah looked to her side, her body shaking. Her eyes widened as she saw him, Akito Sohma.

"He is quite ugly in his other form…wouldn't you agree?" he asked with a smirk, his arms folded over his chest.

Lailah just stared at him, fear in her eyes.

"You look scared…Is it because of me? Or Kyo?" he said, walking toward her.

Getting back to her senses she shook her head. "No!" she yelled and started running again, not caring if her chest was still screaming in agony. She clutched her clothes and winced, her running beginning to slow down. 'I won't…I won't leave him…' she thought desperately as she wobbled over to an opening. She had to clutch tightly to a tree to keep her up. She stared in Kyo's direction.

The monster was holding his face in its claws.

Lailah breathed heavily and wobbled over to him. Kyo snapped his head back up at her and growled. Lailah fell down on her stomach, she screamed in agony, her eyes closing tight.

As she looked up into Kyo's eyes she saw a hint of worry behind the anger, the pain, and the lonely. She crawled over to him, pulling herself and digging her hands into the sand. There was a girl's scream and a gasp coming from behind Kyo.

Kyo and Lailah both looked to their side, Tohru had her hands cupped over her mouth, staring at Lailah in horror. Yuki on the other hand had an arm around Tohru's shoulders. You couldn't really tell because of the rain but she was crying. "Onee-chan!" she yelled, beginning to run over, that's when Kyo let out another growl.

"NO!" Lailah yelled, holding her hand out weakly for Tohru to stop.

Kyo, Tohru and Yuki turned their heads to look at her, Tohru stopped dead in her tracks. Lailah pushed herself up, her body shivering.

"Ky…o…please…" she whispered, getting to her feet. Her face was as pale as the moon. She was holding her stomach, trying to keep herself from falling. Kyo only growled at her, leaning away from her. As she took a step closer she fell over, clutching to his arm.

Kyo roared and tried to shake her off. As she was pushed to the ground, tears rolling down her cheeks, she coughed onto Kyo's arm. Kyo's eyes widened as he saw the blood mixed with saliva that was on his arm. There was a line of blood rolling down her bottom lip.

"Kyo…please…" she whispered and looked up at him. He stared at her, stared at her pale as a ghost face, at the dark bags under her eyes and most of all, the blood that was rolling down her lip. He quivered under her touch. "Please…Don't leave me…" she whispered and coughed again, blood splattered onto the sand.

Tohru watched in horror, "Sohma-kun…Why is she coughing…blood?" she whispered, her eyes wide. Yuki didn't answer, he only stared.

'Lailah…' Kyo thought.

Lailah clutched his arm tighter and sobbed, closing her eyes. "Kyo don't leave! You're my best friend! I don't care if you're a monster! I don't care if I can't hug you!" she yelled through sobs. "I may be afraid of you…and I know you could kill me right now but I don't care…" she clutched harder to his arm, burying her face in her arms. "I just…I just want to see your smile…hear your laugh…" she whispered. Kyo watched her; the monster's eyes were starting to tear up.

"I want to stay with you…because…" she looked up at him and smiled, tears streaming down her cheeks. "I love you…"

The monster's eyes widened in shock, 'wh-what…?' he thought in disbelief. She coughed again, this time in her hand. She wiped away the blood and stared up at him

"Promise me…Promise me I'll see your face…before I…" she fell silent, her eyes closed and her grip loosened.

Tohru's tears flowed down her cheeks, her eyes widened in horror and her lip quivered. "LAILAH-NEECHAN! NO!" she yelled and ran over, grabbing her sister in her arms. She sobbed, holding the barely breathing girl in her arms.

"We need to get her back…now…" said a familiar voice. Tohru looked up at him through reddened eyes. Kyo was himself again. She nodded as Yuki walked over and helped her up to her feet as she held Lailah in her arms, holding her tight.

"I won't let you leave Onee-chan…" she whispered, her tears falling down onto her sister's cheeks. The rain seemed as if it was weeping with them as it poured down to look like tears. They all headed back, Kyo had his head down and eyes hidden. He had his hands in his pockets, the bangs covered his expression. Unknown to them he was also crying silently.