Akito sat at the window, staring out at the endless white of the gleaming snow. Flakes came through the open window and one landed on her nose. She shivered for the first time in the wake of the cold.
She blinked and felt a thin line of heat roll down her pale cheek. With a shaky hand she reached up and brushed the tear away with a delicate finger. Akito turned away from the window, moving like an old lady, slowly and painfully. Suddenly she spun and picked up a vase, throwing it with all her might. It shattered on the wall.
She sunk to the ground. Watching. Waiting. Praying. No one came. She broke into heart wrenching sobs, her head buried in her knees.
Akito was unsure of how long she stayed there but she knew that it had been a long time. Long enough that she knew in a matter of minutes she would faint. She uttered in a hopelessly desperate voice, 'Alone.' Her vision clouded and she blacked out.
Kyo left his food untouched. Yuki, Shigure and even Tohru ate heartily, leaving talk for another more convenient time where there wasn't food to consume. Abruptly he stood and turned on his heel, storming out. He heard Tohru ask what the matter was, but he didn't stop kicking out the door, ignoring Shigure's shout of protest. Out in the open he drew in a deep breath, filling his lungs with the bitter air.
He felt Yuki come up behind him, silent. Kyo turned to see him staring up at the sky. We looked at each other, the years of hate between the two was lost in the tension of the moment. Kyo felt an unbearable pain pierce his head like a hot knife. A low groan escaped his lips as he fell to his knees with a loud crack. Yuki collapsed beside him, his face even paler than usual.
"Kyo? Yuki?' Tohru screamed, running out to them. There was a shout from inside and she spun. 'Shigure?'
Yuki fell unconscious and Kyo was breathing shallow.
'What is going on?' Tohru sobbed, coming to Kyo's side.
Kyo just reached out and took her hand in a weak grip as he fell sideways. He smiled reassuringly through the pain. He went still.
'Wake up, Kyo. Wake up, KYO. YOU HAVE TO WAKE UP KYO!'
Hana scrunched her eyes closed suddenly, grunting.
'Huh…?' Uotani turned to face her, noticing her expression. 'Looks like you just ate a lemon. What's up?'
Hana pressed a hand to her heart. 'It's Tohru…There's something wrong. We have to go. Now.'
When Uo and Hana arrived they found Tohru draped over Kyo's motionless body, sobbing. Yuki was not two feet away, equally as deathlike.
'Shit!' Uotani exclaimed, running over to Yuki. 'He's not breathing, Hana.'
Hana was standing perfectly still, her long black hair whipping against her back in the rising wind. She had a gift and was able to read mental waves. She could use her mind to do much more but after a tragic accident in which a young boy nearly died she vowed never to use her gift for violence again. 'He's alright for now. So is Kyo. They are merely in a suspended reality. Their minds have left their bodies and no breath is needed. But I think you will find that both their hearts beat a strongly as they had before.'
Tohru looked up, her eyes red from crying. 'Will he be alright?'
They all knew who she meant by he. Of course under normal circumstances she would be horrified by Yuki's state. But not when Kyo was just as bad. It was clear where her affections really lay.
Hana sighed. 'He will be…'
Uo stood. 'There's a but isn't there?'
'The longer they stay in this state the harder it is to get them back. Shigure is inside. But as far as I can tell he's the same…' she murmured.
'C'mon, let's get these two inside. Then we'll call a doctor,' Uo said in a calm and rational voice, taking control of the situation.
Tohru sniffed, standing up and pulling herself together. 'Right…' Her determined look changed and her eyes filled with tears. All of a sudden she broke down into desperate sobs. Hana reached out and enfolded her in her arms, comforting the bawling girl.
'It's alright Tohru, we can still get them back.'