Chapter 1
You sat quietly in the huge cathedral, listening to the soft song that echoed around the empty space. You were alone, though; the song was being played on an Mp3 that belonged to one of the workers. They always left it playing when they were out, in case someone came in to pray. It wasn't that you were a religious person; actually, you were an atheist. But it was a sort of tradition, coming to pray every Christmas. On the...anniversary.
For you, there were no celebrations. You lived alone, isolated from the rest of the world. Even these small ventures, that you only took once a year, were very risky. It just wasn't safe out here, in the real world. Yet you came, always, and prayed fervently for some sort of good fortune, or an encounter that could change your life. Nothing happened, of course, but you needed all the help you could get anyway.
"Ah...so, I've finally found you. After all these years...you've reached a dead end, Shimiku Anzai." A silky, cunning voice interrupted your thoughts, as a hand came to rest on your shoulder. You flinched away from it, your eyes widening with terror. No...
"S-stay away! G-get back!" you shouted, jumping up from your kneeling position on the floor. The man before you only smiled, and stepped closer. You started backing up, but then your eyes met his. Never before had you glimpsed eyes so cold and unfeeling. Their piercing gray color reminded you of knives, piercing your very soul. You were thus unable to move. But, at the same time, something kept you from feeling utter fear. Some strange, inexplicable phenomenon was taking place inside of your very soul, and you had a feeling it wasn't reversible. This was permanent...Running and hiding would prove pointless. This powerful bond would never let you feel at peace.
"As I'm sure you've noticed, you can no longer run from me. I am "God", and you are my little monster...how lucky I am, to have two monsters. Isn't that right, filthy little vixen?" he snarled, causing you to cower in fear. So this man was him, the one who rendered you helpless. This curse could not be overcome...you belonged to this vile being now. There was no going back. It had been explained to you many, many times...
"When you get found, Miku...It's over. Nothing like heaven will ever find you. Keep that in mind, as you run away from all your troubles..."
*One Year Later*
Various shouts and yells sounded throughout the Main House, growing closer and closer by the second. You were breathing hard, each breath coming in a heavy pant. Your chest heaved, and the cold air stung your lungs painfully. But you couldn't stop running, not while they were still chasing you...
Why did this happen every time you tried to visit the Main House? Even if it was under Akito's orders, this still happened! What did they have against you, really?
Suddenly, a door appeared out of nowhere, directly in front of you. Silently thanking the heavens, you slammed it open and quickly slid inside, shutting it carefully behind you. The voices suddenly quieted, until only the pounding of footsteps on tatami could be heard. The tatami muted the sound slightly, but you could still hear it clearly enough. As they drew nearer to the door, the footsteps slowed, then came to a halt directly in front of your hiding place. You felt certain they would hear your pounding heart and gasping breaths, but the door remained closed.
"That stupid fox...who the heck does that brat think she is?" Isuzu "Rin" Sohma hissed angrily.
"She takes the curse so lightly! Like it's nothing!" Kagura Sohma agreed, probably looking just as mad as Isuzu. Those two hated you the most...or so it seemed. One or two members of the Zodiac had accepted you, but the other ten or so hated your guts. You wouldn't be surprised if they took it so far as to make an attempt at murdering you; in fact, they already had, back when Akito first introduced you to the family. That first day was definitely the worst...none of them had accepted you then, not one.
The footsteps sounded again, running past the closet thankfully. They hadn't found you...what a relief. However, they weren't the only ones searching...
A bright beam of light nearly blinded you as the door was opened by one of your other, smarter, pursuers. This time it was...Yuki Sohma, the rat.
"Darn it..." you said, your eyes widening until your pupils were swimming in twin seas of white. He had immediately taken a disliking to you, acting like you'd killed someone close to him or something...In which case his feelings would be much stronger than merely disliking you...either way, you were in a dicey situation. He literally had you cornered.
"You filthy little fox. I have to admit, it was very cunning of you to try and sneak your way into the Main House like that. But now...I've got you." he whispered lethally, his light gray eyes gleaming with hatred. You swallowed the lump of fear that'd gathered in your throat, backing up until you were pressed against the wall. Then...there was no where to go.
"Yuki-san, wait for-" Hatsuharu, the ox, quickly stopped speaking when he realized what was going on. You bit your lower lip nervously, hoping he'd be able to help you somehow. "Yuki...don't harm Shimiku. Don't do this. It's not her-"
"Were you going to say, 'It's not her fault,' Haru? Because let me tell you, it very well is.
She's been hiding for hundreds of years, yet she didn't even consider breaking the curse! She didn't even think about what the rest of us were going through! SHE JUST RAN AWAY!" Yuki shouted furiously, cutting off what Haru was about to say. Your lip was bleeding now, the blood tasting salty on your tongue.
"But she had her reasons, Yuki! Didn't you ever stop to think that, just maybe, she did it for one chance at normalcy in her life? That she didn't have any other real options, but was backed into a corner, like you're doing to her now?" Haru's voice rose steadily until it was nearly as loud as Yuki's. No doubt they were going to draw the attention of someone else (who could possibly gang up on Haru with Yuki)...you were glad Haru was standing up for you, though. His girlfriend, Isuzu (the horse, fittingly), completely disagreed with him on this, yet he still stood up for you. Unlike the others, he readily listened to what you had to say, rather than ignoring you and labeling your motives as evil or cruel.
"If she wanted that, she should've earned it for herself, instead of trying to take the easy way out! We can all just keel over when problems arise, but it takes real courage to stand up and face those problems, no matter what they are!" Yuki retorted, his voice loud as well. You resisted the urge to cover your ears, not wanting to risk drawing his attention to you.
"Yuki, Hatsuharu...please refrain from raising your voices at Shimiku; she only came here because I asked her to." the soft, yet calculating voice of Akito appeared from behind Haru, and Akito along with it. Both Haru and Yuki jumped, Yuki stepping out of the way hastily. Akito padded over to you, coming to a halt when he was only inches away from your trembling body. He frightened you even more than the other members of the Zodiac, because he was the one who controlled them. This year would be your second banquet, but you didn't know if you'd be attending. They would all be there, waiting to pounce. If you didn't, though, Akito would have your head for certain.
"A-Akito-sama, I'm so very sorry for being late!" you apologized, dropping to the ground and bowing low. You bowed partially out of respect, and partially to hide the immense fear that was no doubt visible in your eyes.
"It's alright. I just have something to show you, my dear Shimiku." he whispered into your ear, now kneeling on the ground beside you. You shuddered ever so slightly, his icy tone striking fear into your very bones. For a moment, everyone was still. Then you nodded, and stood up, your knees still shaking slightly. Akito rose as well, walking off in the direction you'd been running earlier. You followed him, after glancing at Haru and Yuki one last time. You frowned slightly; they both still looked like a blizzard had stormed through...
Akito led you through the halls, twisting and turning in all different directions before coming to a stop in front of a small sliding door. Something about all of the confusing direction changing told you he didn't want you to find this room again...
He slammed the door open, then stepped back to let you look inside. Gulping again, you took a step towards it, then peeked in, fearful of what you might see.
It was empty. The room was just that; a room. It was completely dark, save a small, barred off window letting in a sliver of moonlight. You backed away a bit, staring at Akito in bewilderment. Why was he showing you this room? What could possibly be so significant about this tiny little room?
"This is the room where that monster of a cat will be confined after it finishes high-school. And you, little fox...well, you'll see later. For now, just know that." Akito explained, his voice growing deadly as, with those final words, he drew one of his fingernails down your cheek. You winced as a small droplet of blood slid off of the side of your jaw, and onto the floor. With that, Akito left, seeming to vanish. Blinking rapidly to make sure you weren't dreaming, you raised your hand to your cheek, then brought it away to find a small smudge of blood.
A sigh escaped your lips. Akito never seemed to take breaks from torturing the members of the Zodiac...If only you hadn't been born the fox, or at least turned yourself in early...perhaps then he would've gone easier on you. But it was much too late for that now.
"Excuse me, are you Miss Shimiku?" a messenger asked, appearing at your side. Nodding in her direction as you turned away from the room, you waited for her to continue. "Akito-sama wanted to tell you about your new living arrangements, but he's...busy, at the moment. So I was sent...Ahem, well, you'll be living with Shigure-san. Do you know where that is?" she went on to ask. You nodded again, then realized the meaning of what she'd said. Shigure? Where...Yuki lived? Oh no...
The messenger didn't wait for another, oral response, but instead left, most likely to tell Akito she'd delivered the news. Meanwhile, you were having an anxiety attack, fretting and worrying nonstop. Not good, not good, not good...
You huffed unhappily, turning to leave. However, just as you had no idea how you'd got here, you didn't know how to get back...this could take some time.
Chapter 2
After you got yourself even more lost, someone noticed you (thankfully not a member of the Zodiac) and showed you out. Actually, you were almost wishing it was a member of the Zodiac who'd found you. Maybe they would've killed you, and spared you from having to live with Yuki for the rest of your miserable existence. You'd almost rather be stuck in that little room...though that would get very boring after a day or so. Hmmm...so that was the cat's confinement room? Actually, he was the only one you hadn't met...he wasn't at the banquet last New Year's...
You walked up to the gate, then halted, staring intently at it. As soon as you left this place, you'd no longer be protected from your fellow Zodiac animals. Sure, Akito was the scariest guy you'd ever met, but he at least kept the others away from you most times. Outside, though, his control was a little more limited. Sure, he was "always watching" but that didn't mean he could just teleport himself to wherever he wanted to go. He had physical limits, just like everybody else...
Shaking your head to clear it of the fear that already clouded your thoughts, you reached for the gate. Before you could open it, someone else swung it open from the outside, knocking you aside. You landed hard on the ground, probably earning yourself a couple bruises, but were otherwise okay. A bigger concern was finding out who was at the gate, and whether or not they were out to get you...it wasn't that you were being paranoid, you just seriously had to worry about that sort of thing.
Alas, it was a member of the Zodiac...but not one who hated your guts. It was the other of the two who tolerated you (the first being Hatsuharu), Shigure Sohma, the dog. And the one you'd be living with (possibly for the rest of your life) under orders from Akito. At least he didn't totally hate you (Shigure, that is)...well, not that you knew of.
"H-hello, Shigure-san..." you greeted him, waving from your position on the ground.
"Oh! Shimiku-chan! Well, now I don't have to search high and low for you! Come with me, and make it quick, so we can surprise Yuki before he gets home from school! Oh, and I hope you don't mind, but I enrolled you in his school...Kyo-kun is going to, though, so you won't be all alone! Oh, and..." Shigure went on and on, long after you stopped actually listening to him. This was seriously bad, though. Yuki's school...so, not only did you have to live with this guy, but you had to see him every day at school, too! According to Shigure's endless chatter, it was a public school, with "~plenty of cute boys~", meaning increased danger of getting transformed, and the Sohma family secret getting exposed. You weren't even technically a part of the Sohma family, but you still had to worry about that, lest Akito's wrath befall you. In addition, you had to meet some other new stranger, this, "Kyo." He was probably one of the other animals...though you couldn't recall meeting any Kyos at the banquet. Maybe he was out sick or something...
"Um, Shigure-san? Sorry to interrupt, but shouldn't we be going now?" you prompted him, gathering up all the remaining scraps of courage in your body (which added up to nearly nothing), and rising to a standing position. Shigure stopped talking, and stared at you intently. In that moment, you felt as if he'd seen through your very soul...almost like he knew everything about you just by looking at you. "Sh-Shigure-san?"
"...Why?" he asked quietly, his ebony eyes narrowed. You knew what he was asking without any specification.
"I didn't think you cared about...that. You should know...it's been happening for generations. I just did what everyone else had done before me." you explained, looking away from him. The wind blew a piece of snowy white hair into your face. You reached up to move it aside, but the wind moved it again before you had the chance. Odd.
"No...I meant you. But...I can tell...Akito said something to you. You're lying. But don't worry, I don't mind~! Now, let's go~!" he cheered, walking back through the gates like he was leading a parade. Wilting slightly, you sighed and followed after him, your feet dragging in the ground. If only there was someway to avoid this...But no, when Akito told you to do something, you did whatever he wanted. Or things could get dangerous.
Shigure's house was big, bigger than you were expecting. Of course, it was nothing compared to the Main House, but it wasn't the tiny shack you'd been living in before either. Shigure was already inside, so you slid the door open, taking off your shoes before walking on the tatami. It probably would've been polite to put some slippers on, but you were too busy taking things in, and honestly preferred to walk around in your socks.
"So, where would you like to sleep? Actually...where can you sleep...? Now that Kyo's back, he'll need his room again...you could sleep in Yuki's room, of course, but I don't think I trust him with a beautiful young lady like yourself, especially since your a member of the Zodiac...Oh well, Kyo-kun will just have to do without!" Shigure decided, not letting you say anything. Not that you really minded, it was just, you didn't really know what was going on here...
"Who's this 'Kyo' you keep mentioning?" you questioned, making air quotes with your fingers when you said his name.
"Hmm? You don't...know?" Shigure seemed confused by this, a frown on his face. You shook your head slightly, your gray eyes downcast. Hopefully it wasn't anybody too important... "Well, he's-"
"HEY! WHY DO I HAVE TO GO TO THE SAME SCHOOL AS YUKI?" A loud voice demanded, as the door slammed open and was shut just as hard. Loud footsteps stomped towards where you and Shigure were now seated at a kotatsu (it was the middle of winter, after all). Shigure sighed before pasting a pathetic smile on his face, ready to greet whoever it was. You were thankful it wasn't Yuki, but this stranger could prove to be worse, so...
"But you and Yuki-kun get along so weeell, Kyo-kun!" Shigure protested lightly as "Kyo" entered the room. He looked to be an inch or two taller than you, with a fine-toned physique, but was rather thin...wiry, perhaps? His bright orange hair and ruby eyes stood out quite a bit, but what really ensnared your attention was the black and white beaded bracelet on his left wrist. Your fingers drifted to a nearly identical bracelet on your own wrist as you continued to stare in wonderment. That was about when Kyo finally took notice of you, as you stared intently at him.
"Who the heck is she?" He shouted, both fists tightly clenched. Neither you nor Shigure responded, a hazy feeling washing over you. It was almost hypnotic, drawing you up from the cushioned seats of the kotatsu. Kyo stared right back at you, bewildered, while you slowly walked over to where he stood paralyzed, like an invisible source had bound him tightly in place. His eyes widened even further as your right hand reached for his bracelet. Just as your fingers brushed against one of the beads, he backed away from you. Suddenly, you snapped out of it, blinking rapidly, and the feeling vanished rather abruptly.
"You...you're the cat...And you have one of those bracelets..." you murmured softly, touching your own wrist again. Kyo saw it then, his eyes widening to the extreme as he inhaled sharply. Before either of you said anything, you found yourself being sent flying into the wall behind you, the reason unapparent. A pained cry escaped your lips when you made contact, and searing pain erupted within your skull. The entire room shook with the impact, as you slumped to the floor, becoming almost motionless. Upon finally raising your head, you saw Kyo's fist still poised from the strike, and the cause of your aerial accident became clear. The pain in your head had dulled slightly, but still ached and throbbed, the ringing in your ears eclipsing all other sound, and a sharp stinging sensation in your upper abdomen hinted at a broken rib. But you were utterly baffled. The two of you were obviously in the same miserable situation, so why...?
"Shut. Up. You don't know anything about me, or why I wear this dang thing! SO JUST SHUT UP!" Kyo yelled furiously, slamming his fist down on the table. You interpreted the feeling you felt when it didn't break in half as surprise.
"Sigh...I guess I'd better call Hatori-kun then...Darn, I lost our bet, too..." Shigure muttered to himself. You watched him stand up and walk over to the phone, his traditional kimono swishing around his ankles. But even as you did so, you could feel your consciousness fading. A black haze clouded your vision, and the pain slowly began to fade as you blacked out.
"...so, pay up, Shigure-san. You were wrong." A vaguely familiar voice could be heard saying as you woke up, blinking rapidly under the suddenly bright lights. For a few moments, you couldn't remember what was happening, why you were in this place. Then it all came flooding back, starting with being chased through the halls of the Main House, then ending with Kyo sending you flying into a wall.
"Awwww...Hatori-kun, if you think about it technically-"
"I don't want to hear it, Shigure. I won fair and square, now hand over the money."
"But-"
"What're you talking about? What money? Who're you?" You interrupted Shigure with a steady stream of questions. He turned to you, a pout still present on his face. Even in your current state, you could see he'd mastered the classic puppy-dog face, naturally...
"Ah! Shimiku-chan, you're awake! Hatori-kun and I made a bet about who'd attack you first, but I lost..." Shigure's face went from pouting to grinning to pouting again so fast you almost doubted whether or not his expression had changed at all.
"'Hatori'? You mean...the dragon?" you persisted, sitting up despite the continuous stinging sensation in your head. Both Shigure and Hatori stared at you in shock, then quickly smoothed out their expressions.
"Yes. He's the dragon. And I'm the dog. You're the fox. What's your point? Hatori-kuuuun, if you think about it caaarefully, Yuki-kun was actually, uh...disguised as Kyo-kun!" Shigure beamed, completely forgetting about you, as it seemed...You sighed, giving up on getting anything else out of him. What a painfully long day...
Chapter 3
You slept through the rest of the day, nursing your sore head and stinging side. Most people would've been too busy plotting revenge to do that, but revenge was the last thing on your mind. You really weren't the slightest bit angry at Kyo; you were just...tired. Tired of always being chased around, tired of being hated because of what you'd been born as...and most of all, tired of hearing the same crap about how you took the curse "lightly"! Those idiots didn't know what they were talking about! Certainly, you didn't really care about transforming into a snowy white fox every time a boy hugged you, but having to bear the burden of a-
"Hey." Haru said to you, cutting off your train of thought. He was standing in the doorway, gazing at you with an undecipherable emotion in his black eyes.
"Hello. What brings you here?" You asked politely, not really knowing what else to say. Haru might've been the only one to accept you, besides Shigure, but you didn't exactly know him very well. The two of you weren't exactly best friends who did everything together; he just happened to be a member of the Zodiac, like you.
"Visiting. Shigure spread word of your condition, though he didn't say anything about the cause. I don't think anyone else will be coming to see you, except maybe Akito...Anyway, what brings you here?" he questioned seriously, bringing his hands out of his pockets to cross them over his chest as he roughly pulled up a chair. You thought for a moment, wondering if you should tell him the truth. After all, it wasn't like you cared whether or not anyone knew. This whole affair wasn't some big secret or anything.
Eventually you decided to simply tell him what had happened, rather than try and come up with a believable lie. "Kyo. When I got to Shigure's place, I ran into him, and he didn't exactly take a liking to me...instead, he punched me into a wall. It wasn't a paper wall, thank goodness, or else I would've crashed right through it..."
"Kyo? But...those bracelets...aren't you two stuck in the same boat? Why the heck would he do something like that?" Haru fumed, starting to go a little Black You hesitated for a moment, then leaned forward and placed your hand soothingly on his shoulder. You were actually sort of touched that he, a person who barely knew you, cared so much. Then again, it was in his nature. He was a naturally kind person...
"'Guess he doesn't like me very much. Besides, I don't think he knew that. And I've already forgiven him...I don't care about a little bump on the head, I've got more important things to worry about." You concluded, shrugging nonchalantly. Haru stared at you disbelievingly, his ebony eyes wide with shock. Then he closed them, like he was composing himself, before heaving a sigh and reopening them. His expression was slightly calmer, but still a little skeptical.
"I suppose you do...but I'm surprised you're forgiving him just like that. Not that you hold grudges against people, at least not from what I've seen...Still, what're you going to do now?" Haru asked, his voice soft once more.
"I...I don't really know. Just keep on living, I guess. That seems to be all I really can do..." you answered, your voice trembling ever so slightly. Truth be told, you didn't have much of a purpose in this family, or the entire world for that matter. Haru continued to stare at you for a moment, deep in thought. Then he left, softly closing the door behind him. You watched through the small window as his head of wild white hair grew further and further away, finally disappearing when he turned a corner. You knew exactly where he was headed...hopefully he'd reach his destination without getting lost.
Chuckling lightly to yourself, you slid your legs over the side of the bed. The icy tiled floor sent an uncomfortable pricking sensation through your feet, but you ignored it, slowly standing up. There was no point in staying here any longer, after all. You were fine...well, close enough. After taking a careful look around to make sure no one could see you, you limped over to the door, opening it with a quiet click.
"And just where do you think you're going?" Hatori stepped in front of you, blocking the way out. You jumped, not expecting him to appear out of nowhere like that.
"I-I, uh, well...I'm all better?" you tried, a nervous smile plastered on your face. Yeah right, like he'd believe you when you used a tone like that...
"Fine. You may go. Just be sure not to over-do it..." Hatori relented with a shrug, stepping out of your way. You blinked rapidly, absorbing his words. You could leave...just like that? Something smelled fishy...literally.
Nodding politely to Hatori, you limped down the hall, and exited through the double doors. The freezing cold air stung your lungs, but you inhaled a huge gulp of it anyway. An entire day without fresh air made it necessary.
You strolled around, taking in the scenery, while headed in the general direction of Shigure's house. The dirt road was surrounded by tall evergreens, together forming a large forest. It was truly beautiful...like going home again, after so long...
Too wrapped up in your thoughts to pay much attention to where you were going, you turned and began to walk through the forest. The dark soil cushioned your feet, the soft fronds of ferns and other plants you didn't register enough to name brushing against your legs and arms as you progressed further in your journey. You didn't know where you were headed, nor did you care. This forest had drawn you in, and you fully intended to follow the path to its end...
Finally you came upon a clearing that stretched over a certain distance before abruptly dropping off into a vast expanse of water...the ocean. The sight took your breath away; the sunset was reflecting off the water at a perfect angle, making it so that a few stray icebergs were floating in the water...Tears slid down your face, hanging onto your jaw a moment before slipping away and soaking into the ground. Before long, they were flooding down your face, forcing you to cover your face with your hands in order to block the majestic sight. Your knees gave way, and you crumpled to the ground as muffled sobs escaped you.
Kyo's POV
I grumbled quietly to myself as I trampled through the undergrowth. All these stupid bushes and idiot briars, getting in my way...just like that damn Yuki! Dammit, he was always so damn calm all the time! I could kick his ass, and he'd still be all cool and cynical! It was so damn disgusting! I continued to curse under my breath, the volume of my voice increasing steadily when I got stuck in a patch of brambles. After managing to release myself, I continued to stomp towards my destination. Eventually, I stumbled into a neat little dirt path. Sometimes, reality comes back to check up on you, see how you're doing, you know? And it always sucks for me...
I grudgingly followed the dirt path, knowing it was most likely headed towards the same place I was headed before I found it...although that would be just like everything else that I went through if it didn't. I wouldn't be surprised if it led to the Main House, with that stupid Akito...I heard they sent that girl there, too, right to Hatori. Well, it served her right...
My conscious was starting to get to me, though...The guilt was building up faster than I'd thought it would. Not that I'd thought I'd be feeling guilty at the time, but I was now. Everything that'd happened was just getting to me, and I...and I took it out on her. I didn't even know her...she didn't have the chance to tell me her name before I went and punched her into a wall. But she was the one who touched my bracelet! Why would she, a complete stranger, do that? And she knew I was the cat, too! Then...on her wrist-
My thoughts were interrupted when I tripped over a curled up ball of flesh, barely catching myself before I crashed into the ground.
"Hey! What the heck are you doing, lying on the ground...like that...?" I trailed off as I realized just who I'd tripped over. Long, snowy white hair flowed over the ground, undisturbed even by the blades of grass trying to poke through. Dark lashed framed now-closed eyes, as the girl from before slept rather fitfully. I couldn't help but notice the tears that stained her cheeks, and the sterile white bandage wrapped around her head.
A burning sensation in my wrist distracted me from my observations. I clutched it tightly, trying to ignore the pain. But did the exact opposite of going away; it worsened. I bit down on my lower lip, until my sharp teeth cut through the skin and I was forced to relax my mouth. What was going on? And...my bracelet...why was it constricting and glowing so brightly like that?
Your POV
Something was stinging and burning at your left wrist, and the blood-flow felt like it was being cut off. You whimpered softly, pulling it closer towards you. The beads of your bracelet brushed against your other hand, and you nearly screamed at the searing pain it left in its wake. As it was, you heard someone else, who sounded very close, crying out. You forced open your sleepy eyes, and they immediately focused on a head of shining orange hair. Kyo. Wait...so he was the source of those pained cries...? Exactly what was going on here?
Chapter 4
Eventually you yourself were screaming, and trying to tear the bracelet off. But it was too tight for your weak attempts to do much of anything. Suddenly, everything went quiet, and your pain was momentarily relieved.
"Hello, my monsters. Enjoying this lovely evening, I see." Akito drawled, a noticeable hint of satisfaction apparent in his voice. Your entire body was racked with a series of violent shudders, as if the fire that'd been burning at you before had now frozen over.
"A-Akit-to...Wh-what's...happening?" Kyo stuttered, trying to sound angry and forceful. An effort which was currently failing miserably...
"Hmm...it would seem the two of you are writhing about on the ground for no. Apparent. Reason." Akito snarled, nudging Kyo rather hard with his foot.
"Akito...please, explain?" You begged him, rising into a sitting position in order to look up at him with your pleading eyes. His frosty gaze showed no signs of softening.
"Fine, since you refuse to shut up for a single moment. I believe it's a reaction to the closeness of those bracelets. At this rate, you'll never know what to expect, will you? But of course, that's only what you deserve. Only God knows what will happen next..." Akito smirked, turning to leave. You managed to glimpse those frozen grey orbs of his beforehand, however...And they not only filled you with fear, but also dread. This wouldn't end well...
"Kyo! Kyo, where are you? And why was Akito..." Haru stopped dead in his tracks when he found the two of you lying there on the ground, motionless. He let out a sigh of relief when he saw both of your chests rising and falling steadily. You weren't dead, just sleeping...this time.
You didn't wake up to the raised voices of Hatori and Shigure this time...Instead it was Kyo and Yuki, dueling it out in the room beneath you. Their arguments were loud enough to wake the dead...a light laugh echoed around the room, and you sighed happily. Then you remembered...and the smile on your face was flipped upside down. Akito had definitely set things up like this intentionally...Yuki was close by as a death threat, and Kyo's curse was reacting strongly to yours whenever the two of you got too close. Not that you were exactly best friends with either of them, but living in the same house would certainly ensure that you'd run into them eventually.
The room you were in was relatively empty, besides the bed...you couldn't help but wonder where it came from. It might as well have been made for you...shimmering crystal frame, white silk sheets with a soft, puffy white comforter, along with an assortment of icy blue pillows scattered around the king-size package. You couldn't help but smile again. Someone here had realized your rather unique, wintery tastes...no doubt you'd keep the comforter on even if it wasn't winter. Because of the snow...that soft, light, snow...
"It's good to see you finally awake, Shimiku-chan!" The voice of Shigure greeted you as you slowly descended the stairs, still carefully reflecting on the beauties of winter. You gave a nod in his direction, ignoring the sounds of battle taking place, as you seated yourself at the kotatsu. For breakfast, there was...a strange mass of some food that was apparently burnt beyond recognition. You considered eating it for about five seconds...then picked up all the untouched plates that were at various seats around the table, and dumped it in the trash. Even including the mouthful that Shigure was trying to force down.
Still not saying a word, you disappeared into the kitchen. Shigure was the only one paying attention, but he wasn't really that concerned. After all, you'd probably just saved him from poisoning himself.
It was nearly impossible, but you managed to wade through the piles and piles of trash, some of which was beginning to give off a very foul odor, to the oven. The evidence of that burnt object's creation was everywhere; it was the first thing on your list to clean out. Not to say that you particularly enjoyed cleaning...you just wanted to eat a decent meal every once in a while. And if you had to cook it, then that was that.
Through much soaking and scrubbing, you managed to create a clean enough environment to cook in. Although, the garbage truck guys probably wouldn't appreciate the stacks and stacks of garbage bags at the end of Shigure's driveway...
...Please Stand By...
"Breakfast is ready," you announced, walking back into the dining room. In your right hand was a platter holding two cups of green tea, one cup of milk, and one cup of orange juice. Your left hand balanced four plates of hot onigiri. The drinks were guesswork, along with the onigiri, but you hoped everyone's individual tastes would be satisfied anyway...you really didn't know how to cook very much, and were trying to branch out from plain things like rice balls, but you'd never had any such opportunities...
In front of Shigure you placed the first cup of tea, and the second went to Yuki's place at the kotatsu. Kyo got the milk (well, he was the cat, after all), and the orange juice was for you. Everyone was eating the same thing, of course, so that was one less thing you had to worry about. Even so, none of them liked you very much...Actually, that was an understatement. Two of them hated you, and one...Shigure was weird to all females (particularly high-school girls, as you'd recently noticed), so it was rather hard to tell.
Once everything was in its proper place, you took your seat at the kotatsu, and waited. And waited, and waited, and waited... "Exactly how long are you all going to keep staring at me? Don't you people eat around here?" You exploded, after watching them stare at you for several minutes. From what you could tell, they were utterly shell-shocked. It was grating on your nerves very much. Yes; you, the calm, collected, heart-of-ice fox, were annoyed. Your sudden outburst seemed to spur them into action, however, allotting you a renewed sense of serenity.
"Th-thank you, Shimiku-san..." Now, if someone was going to be thanking you, you were expecting Shigure. Not him. Not that vicious, hateful rat, Yuki! You quickly glanced around, checking the area for signs of the world coming to its end. Nothing appeared to be drastically wrong. No floods of water, molten lava, locusts, or anything of the sort.
"Y-you're welcome, I guess..." You stuttered, a light blush spreading across your face. Maybe it wasn't the end of the world, but it was still pretty damn strange!
"Oh! Ah, yeah, thanks, damn rat, you're always starting something with me!" Kyo blurted. Though his words and actions seemed to suggest anger, you weren't sure that was what he really felt. He appeared...embarrassed, actually. Then again, so did you. Now that they were both thanking you, a sashimi-colored blush clouded your face. Surprisingly...you felt kind of...happy.
"Shimiku-chan, are you feeling ill?" Shigure asked cluelessly. Then again, now that he mentioned it...sleeping outside in the middle of winter had probably taken its toll on you. The blush came so easily partially because...you had a fever of 102'F...
Shigure stared down at the thermometer, like he was willing it to suddenly change. You watched with wide gray eyes, wondering what he'd do next. "Miku-chan...can I call you that? Anyway...I suppose I'll call Haa-san again, though I'm sure he won't like it..." Shigure sighed, trotting over to the phone. 'Haa-san'? He must mean Hatori...
You, Kyo, and Yuki sat in silence, waiting. Kyo was the first to get fidgety. Yuki smacked him on the head a couple of times, but Kyo didn't say anything. He also didn't stop fidgeting. You started to sweat profusely; partly because of the tense situation, and partly because you were burning up.
"Um...I'll just go...and get a cool, damp towel..." You excused yourself, standing up unsteadily. The heat was really getting to your head, causing you to sway dizzily, but those two obviously weren't going to help.
You stumbled into the kitchen, practically collapsing on the sink. One hand stretched towards the faucet while the other searched a nearby drawer for a washcloth. When refreshingly cold water was pouring into the sink, that hand joined the other in the search for a cloth. Both continued to turn up empty.
"Huh? Where's...all..." Your words trailed off as a blast of smoke filled the room. By the time it'd cleared, you were reduced to a heap of white fur on the floor. Though being in your animal form increased the range of your vision, it quickly faded anyway due to your loss of consciousness...
"Shigure, please, do not let Shimiku pass out again. I am sick of tired of getting called over here and having to see your annoying face!" The by-now familiar voice of Hatori jarred you into awareness, your crimson-flecked gray eyes slowly opening. He was glaring at Shigure, the usual black hair covering his blind eye. You'd always found Hatori's eyes rather fascinating; their strange, green-gray color was actually rather beautiful.
"I'm very sorry for causing you trouble, Hatori-san, I just had a fever, and...well..." You couldn't figure out quite how to continue. It wasn't like you had control over the mysterious sickness that'd overcome you...
"It's alright, I guess...though I am rather shocked that both you and Kyo of all people were the ones who got sick. Anyway, my work here is done. Just make sure to-"
"Wait, so Kyo-san was sick too? Well, that explains it..." You murmured, half to yourself. It did clear up quite a bit. If what Akito said was true, then a reaction would happen every time you went near Kyo...or something like that, anyway. Which could be really, really bad, now that you lived in the same house as him...Jeez, who did you kill in your past life?