Yaaay! My newest stroy!! please enjoy!!

It's been so long.

Tohru couldn't help but think that as she made dinner. So long…she thought, unable to prevent the wave of sorrow that came with it. Adding some spices and seasoning, she found she was done with the hefty pot of stew that was hanging over the fire.

Tohru put the large flame out, staring at where it had been but moments before. She tried lifting the pot up, but she realized too late that it had grown heavier with the soup now inside. She continued to heave at the pot's handle, intent on feeding all who lived here.

"Do you need help?" came a voice from behind her. Tohru jumped and yelped before realizing that the voice belonged to a member of the household, Kyo. "Yes," She replied, smiling at him. "Thank you."

With Kyo's assistance they were able to lift the pot from its position above the fireplace and onto the table, where serving dishes awaited their owners. "Can you tell everyone that dinner's ready?" Tohru asked.

"What? Oh—yeah." was Kyo's distracted reply. He left the room, and the silence of it was intense. Without the crackling of the fire nor the sound of the wooden spoon stirring the meal, Tohru hadn't realized how quiet the house had become this past month.

The Sohmas started to appear. Kyo came back into the room, taking his seat at the end of the table. Shigure had entered as well, a fun-loving, childish man with a quick tongue. He took the seat opposite Kyo, on the other end. Soon Momiji and Haru had arrived as well, and Tohru joined them at the table.

Momiji, a young man who seemed but a child, with blonde hair and big eyes, asked, "What is that Tohru made for us tonight?" He grinned, looking over at her as she poured some soup into his bowl. "I'm afraid," Tohru started, feeling disappointment from the group, "that we're having leek soup again."

Kyo looked away, obviously annoyed. She knew how much Kyo disliked leeks, and if she could anything to change what they had to eat, she would. But it wasn't until tomorrow that Haru-kun would go to the market and buy more food. It wasn't a problem of money, just making the trip to the village.

"Well," Shigure said from his seat, putting on a joyous face. "If you made it, my flower, then it's sure to be delicious." She blushed at his words, knowing that he only said it to make her feel more comfortable.

"Tomorrow I'll go look for something else." Haru said. He had white hair with the darkest black of roots. He was naturally quiet and disconnected, and often said things out of thin air. "Perhaps we can have something else to eat then."

Tohru bowed my head, feeling ashamed that she could do nothing more.

"Hey," Kyo said abruptly, looking over at her. "It's not your fault, okay? None of it is, so stop looking so sad." It was unusual for Kyo to give such advice. Most of the time he would just complain or argue, so his words were warming, and Tohru tried to listen. "Okay," she replied, feeling slightly better.

When dinner was finished, Momiji stayed and helped Tohru clean up. They washed the dishes together, talking happily. Once that was done, the small boy went to bed. Tohru was alone once more in the kitchen. She looked out the window at the vast dark sky, stars glittering from above. A spot in the sky revealed the form of Ayyelos, a floating world that lived in our skies. It was a dark space in the sky, the only spot where stars didn't decorate the night. She wondered vaguely whether the stories of Ayyelos were true.

It was said that a man, a god, lived up there. He had control over our world, to a certain extent. He was a cruel and spiteful god, and showed no mercy to anyone. But could a being, even a god, live like that? Alone on Ayyelos, with no one around, hating everyone?

Finally, Tohru decided to go to bed, as everyone else had. She walked up the stairs cautiously, trying to keep the boards from creaking and awaking anyone. Her room, which the Sohmas had so generously given, was at the very top. She climbed another set of stairs. When she reached there, Tohru undressed and got into a sleeping gown. It was a white simple robe, with a fabric made for both warmth and coolness—perfect for any weather. It had been given to her by Yuki.

Yuki…she thought sadly, sitting on her bed, looking at nothing in particular. It's been so long…

Just little of a month ago, Yuki had vanished. It had been only Yuki and her, out in the forest. They were supposed to be gathering timber for the fire, but when she had turned around, he was gone. She had called for him, and then screamed out his name in fear. Tohru had ran back to the house, and told Shigure, who came back out and helped her search for him. But they had never found Yuki…

Tohru stifled a sob, still finding it hard to think about that night. Where had he gone to? Where was he now? Was he trying to find us, to come back to us? Oh, Yuki, she thought desperately, I miss you.

For some reason, she couldn't see Yuki to be the type to just up and leave. He had always been so formal, and so polite…she was sure he would never leave without saying goodbye. But what did that mean? Had he been killed? She found it hard to think about.

Tohru fell asleep with those thoughts floating around in her head, until they swirled together with her nightmares. She dreamed of a place of white, an eerie, cold white. There was grass, but not of the usual green. This green was more pale and translucent. The bark of the trees was silver—the leaves a pearly white, and a pond of water was of the clearest kind. In the distance she saw a castle, white and tall and magnificent, and yet…it sent terror weaving through her instincts and all she wanted to do was run. Run as far as she could. She tried to look around for an escape, but when she saw the edge of the land, there were enormous cliffs that leered over her, curving towards the tower of the castle. "Where am I?" she asked herself as she took a step forward, and the ground beneath her shattered. She screamed. Tohru was falling into blackness so solidly real that she feared she would suffocate. "Help me!" She cried at the very same moment another, lower voice did. She looked around, but nothing could be seen in the darkness.

She sat up suddenly, gasping for breath. What was that place? she wondered, trying to regain her bearings. It was so real…that blackness…she shuddered. She had thought that she was dying. It had been so existent.

What was going on?

Please R&R!!