Wow, my first non-Naruto fic.

I know next to nothing about Furuba because I couldn't finish watching the anime. Tohru was so damn annoying that I literally had to give up on the series so forgive me if anything seemed OOC. The only reason I wrote this fic was because I'm really sick of everybody fawning over Tohru AND I DID see enough furuba to know about Kagura. I like Kagura! She's so sweet despite her violent rampages. Anyways, I felt like procrastinating and putting off my studying so I churned out this chapter.

This fic is significantly shorter than my other fics and I feel the quality isn't quite up to par. That's ok, the good quality fics will come out when summer vacation starts! hurries off to study

KyoxKagura forever!

Ch. 1: The Light After The Dark

"Hi there! I'm the Inoshishi of the zodiac and you can call me Kagura. What's your name?" She grinned at him cheerfully, her smile so wide that it stretched across her jaws to reveal clean white teeth, making her cherubic face that was already ripe with baby fat look even more rounded.


Crouching on the ground with his legs hugged close to his body, his eyes slid to a different direction to avoid looking at her. "…..monster…"He murmured, perhaps only to himself.

"Don't be silly! What's your name really?" Translucent eyes, the color of gray morning clouds on an early autumn morning, watched him expectantly and impatiently.

After a moment of hesitation, the small boy finally replied with an unwilling expression on his handsome face, making it clear that he was coerced into making a response. "Kyo."

"Well Kyo-chan, wanna go play? I'm always by myself and really lonely so I'm soooo happy that you're here!" She babbled eagerly.

He barely raised his head to gaze piercingly at the young girl through his orange hair with jewl-like eyes that were of a dark shade of red. "You'd stay away from me if you know what's good for you," he said warningly, "I'm the demon cat."

When she cocked her head with a look of confusion, chestnut brown hair falling in cascades to frame her face, the boy with the chilled heart expected her to run. Then like the brilliant beams of golden sunlight that shattered through black clouds after a thunderstorm, her countenance broke into a smile so happy that only a child with no real experience of life could ever hope to achieve.

"May I offer you catnip, kyo-kun?" She chirped mirthfully.

That day, the warm sunbeams seemed to only shine on her.

Outside, the sky was gray as the steady falling of rain splashed against the house, creating a calming rhythmic beat that lulled its listeners into a sense of content tranquility. Thoroughly enjoying the peacefulness of the mundane afternoon, Kyo was curled on the couch with his head atop the armrest. Laying in that position, he was silently and surreptitiously observing Tohru as she folded the laundry, through heavy eyelids that were weighed down by lethargy. Watching her made him feel warm inside, not in a figurative way, but a very real sensation of rising prickling heat that tortured him with its bittersweet joy. If only she would soothe the unbearable feeling that eluded any word in the human language by promising herself to him and only him. Although Tohru was an outsider to the Sohma family, she had accepted him unconditionally, even after seeing his bakeneko form. To repay his debt for her generous act of kindess, his heart caused its owner to become chained to her.

Without his conscious thought, a shy smile treacherously betrayed his feelings by appearing on his lips. Immediately, Kyo turned his face into the armrest and mimicked the act of slumbering. With his body pressed against the springy couch, he could feel the beating of his covetous heart pounding longingly within his chest as his he marveled over his luck in meeting someone like her.

As Kyo rested on the couch, an eerily familiar sound disturbed the amiable mood that was shared between Kyo and Tohru. Faster than what Kyo's reflex was capable of doing, the almost imperceptible noise changed into a loud crackle of something both hard and dry splintering into pieces. A torrent of wooden shards, the pathetic remnants of what used to be the door, showered upon the two occupants of the room.

"KYOOOO-KUUUUUNNNN I MISSED YOUUUU!"

The short hairs on kyo's body started to prickle. By the time he tried to shield himself, it was too late. Kagura had already launched herself clear across the room to attach herself inextricably to his body.

"OH KYO-KUN!" The bright-eyed girl crooned joyfully, "Did you miss me? Have you been lonely?"

His perfect nose wrinkling in disgust, Kyo tossed Kagura a dark look. "No and no!" He shouted to her face while trying to wriggle out of her overly loving embrace. "Why the hell are you here Kagura! How many times do I have to tell you to LEAVE ME THE HELL ALONE!"

Kagura leaned in and snuck a lightening-fast kiss on Kyo's cheek. "But Kyo-kun!" She protested, "Don't you remember how close we used to be?" She gazed at him tenderly with love showing evidently in her luminescent gray eyes.

"Whatever I'm leaving!" He declared and tried to run out of the house through the gaping hole where the door used to stand. It was while he was straining to free himself from Kagura that he finally noticed Tohru was still standing there with a placating look on her face. And on that face that forever held a gentle expression, was an ugly gash that wept a languid flow of fresh crimson blood.

"Tohru…you…" Kyo raised his hand and extended it to her face until it almost touched her wound. "Are you…in pain?" He asked in a gentle voice that held a note of anguish. His heart constricted at the sight of his cherished someone wearing a fresh lesion. He recalled the rain of sharp wooden pieces falling over them and he remembered that he had only tried to shield himself. Faster than anticipated, the unwelcomed sense of guilt made itself a presence in Kyo. Gradually, the shame that stemmed from his frustration over his not protecting Tohru evolved into blame-seeking rage. The dangerous fury that was cooking in him held Kagura culpable for her violent rampages. The only thought that went through his mind was that it was Kagura's fault that Tohru got hurt.

Kagura, who was wholly focused on Kyo, hadn't even noticed Tohru was also in the room. "KYO-KUUUUNNN!" She cried out and pounced back on top of him.

Kyo stood stiffly, his back tautly erect, as his shoulders trembled from the vehement emotions that rolled within him. He felt Kagura's slender arms sliding across his body then suddenly, there was a sickening clap of skin coming in contact with skin. Then a miniscule moment later, the surface of his right palm started to tingle and slowly burn with a growing heat, like an unwanted leftover memory of a brutal contact. Confused, Kyo looked to his side to see Tohru gaping at him with a horrified expression. Still not comprehending what had happened, he bent his head in puzzlement to see Kagura on the polished wooden floor, sprawled on her stomach with her limps laid in awkward arrangements. Kyo's heart seemed to stop when he noticed she wasn't moving. "Ka…Kagura?" His voice was weak and unsure.

Upon hearing her name, the woman who was a waif of a person stirred slightly. Her slim arms hesitantly shrinking beneath her chest before pushing against the floor to unsteadily raise her body. Her long hair had fallen forward to shield her face like a curtain, but when she tilted her chin to an angle, some of her auburn locks parted, allowing Kyo to see the terrible red mark on her cheek. Her pupils slid sideways to the corner of her eyes so she could focus her stare on Kyo from her spot on the floor. "You've never done that before." She said quietly, strangely calm about the whole situation. While her expression was vacant, her eyes shone with willfully held in tears.

Kyo wanted to apologize but he was never good at talking. Clutching his hands into fists, he looked away and tried to ignore the unfolding scene before him. The need to escape was overpowering and he would've run off if the shock of his action hadn't rooted his legs to the ground. His parched tongue clung to the roof of his mouth when he parted his lips and struggled to say something. His jaws moved but no sound came from his closed up throat. In the end, he settled for licking his cat fangs in silence.

Kagura carefully stood up with her head drooping weakly. Everything about her body language exuded the impression of defeat. "I'm sorry Tohru-san….Kyo-kun.." Her voice cracked. "I get it now." She took a slow and shuddering breath before straightening her body. Looking perfectly composed now, no one would've known the emotional pain she was suffering if it wasn't for the large dollop of tear that finally welled over her lower lashes and fell heavily to the ground. "Tohru-san," Kagura mumbled before turning to the addressed girl with a remorseful smile. "I'm so sorry that I caused you injury. It's just that…I get so excited when I see Kyo and….anyways…it's not an excuse. I'm very very sorry. Will you ever forgive me?"

Flustered, Tohru immediately shook her head at Kagura's plea for forgiveness. "No no Kagura-san it wasn't your fault!"

Kagura simply smiled faintly at the girl before turning and walking away. The showering rain had just relented and the dark clouds had dissipated enough to allow the sun to make its appearance. As Kagura stepped over the boarder of the room, a breeze wafted into the house, telling everyone that the air outside was fresh and carried a clean and lingering scent of rainwater.

Tohru was watching Kagura leave when her peripheral vision detected an orange spot on the ground. "Wait Kagura-san!" Tohru bent down and snatched up the orange kitty backpack and ran out to catch the girl. "Kagura-san you forgot your kitty!" Tohru said breathlessly just as she approached the older girl.

Maintaining her gentle demeanor of acceptance, Kagura shoved the neko bag into Tohru's arms. "No I didn't. He's yours now."

"Eh?" Tohru gasped out.

"KYO-KUN!" Kagura screamed on the top of her lungs as she spun around to face him.

Still frozen to the same spot, Kyo made eye-contact with the woman who had always been with him. Staring back into Kyo's ruby-tinted eyes, Kagura flashed him a bright grin and waved goodbye. There was something about that smile that caused turmoil to surface in the back of Kyo's mind. Lost memories were fighting to claw their way to his consciousness as he watched Kagura's retreating back with panic swelling in him. Kyo barely remembered Tohru as Kagura disappeared around a corner because that day, the sunlight that came after the rain clouds seemed to only shine on her too.

TBC