Disclaimer: Don't own it.

I took a break from Maple Leaves to write this…Shigure was especially interesting in Chapter 96, which rather piqued my curiosity. And so, this fanfic. Voila.

This goes mostly into the events that happened over Chapters 95 and 96 – Yuki's "defiance," Shigure's jealousy of Kureno, and of course, the burning question, was he released? Not that I can answer that question, at any rate. Only guess.

Shigure is like a wave…

A grey stream of smoke drifted and fought against the impounding wind, fading briskly as the latter pummeled it with banshee-like shrieking. Another smoke ring took its place, fringed with another, and soon the air was infused with the scent of tobacco and ashes.

After another round of incessant puffing, Sohma Shigure drew out his cigarette to set his gaze upon his sturdier, placid cousin, the Dragon of the Jyuunishi. A twisted little smirk found its way onto his lips, a drop of icy coldness mingling against its smooth curves. The Dragon, i.e. Sohma Hatori, caught the change in what was left of his vision, blowing out a streak of ashen smoke before inquiring,

"What's on your mind, Shigure?"

The freezing curve on his lips burned out and died as the Dog swiveled his body to face Hatori. "Do you think…an end is near?" His dark eyes narrowed and shone with a menacing gleam in his irises, eyebrows slanted around them to give him a more sinister gaze. "If…Kureno has indeed…been freed…" Images of that tall, auburn-haired man to whom Akito would always grace his presence haunted him like some plague he couldn't be rid of. Kureno…the Bird…the one who could throw off his shackles if he so chose and fly away, and yet his freedom was considerably more limited than that of the other Jyuunishi.

"We have no evidence for that," Hatori cut in shortly, firing a ring of dark smoke into the evening air. Even so, there was that nagging little thought at the back of his mind that persisted to be heard: was he…? "The only one…who knows…is Kureno himself…perhaps."

"He himself may not know." Shigure took a long drag from his cigarette and blew. He could not console himself in his smoke as he had so often done before. Something akin to rage and greed and something that was neither ate at him from the inside.

A weary sparrow alighted onto the shingles of the back porch, catching the gaze of both Dog and Dragon. Its beak clicked sleepily, a shrill note escaping into the air. Hatori engrossed his sight on it, another burden of thoughts unloading itself onto his mind.

"How would…Akito…take this, I wonder…if he knew his loyal servant had been released from the curse." Hatori crushed his cigarette grimly, watching as the fading grey specters blew off into the night.

"Yuki defiant against him…Kureno released from his bindings…" Another glimpse of a cutting, chilled smile whisked across the Dog's face. "…how would he, indeed."

I don't know…how to break the curse.

He brushed back his sheeny obsidian tresses curtly, his mind set on other things. Those words that he had reluctantly told Rin – so determined to find an end to all their troubles – those words – he hadn't been lying. He tasted them over again, then spat them out. The Dog…at the bottom of the barrel…I'm the most cursed one after all…He was the worst.

Though he had no shame in it. He had a vindictive pleasure in reaping what others had sown for him – what he had made them sow for him. To him, life was only a great chess game, in which he was master and the others pawns. Pawns, for his using, in which he could hurt and harm at will. Sacrifices must always be made, no matter what the cost, no matter who paid the price. Even if others had to be hurt for him to fulfill that "dream." The dream, which had bitterly filled the hearts and eyes of him, Hatori, and the Snake, had to be made into a reality. That…always came first.

Choose me…

…above all…

Shigure's eyes glinted with a sarcastic gleam, cold and mocking in their glare. Choose him? Akito? Hadn't he already his precious favorite, Kureno? Hadn't he chosen the Bird, not the lowly Dog? Why should he continue to stay at his side, when dear Kureno followed his every movement, obeyed his every command?

But the bird's flown.

It serves him right, Shigure thought emphatically, trampling the ground heavily in his mental banter. Kureno's free, and you have no one now…But I must return to your side…Because of the bond between Jyuunishi and God.

The bond's broken.

His brow furrowed in deep speculation. The Mouse had been defiant to Akito, something that had always been unheard of. The Mouse, who should have been the closest to him, had somehow broken away. How was this… How had Yuki done what no Jyuunishi had dared to try before…

And Tohru-kun… In the end, she was only a pawn, too. In the end…she would regret ever interfering in the Sohma family. Akito was using her for his master plan… And so was he. For his own purposes. For his own gain.

He was truly the worst.

The fresh incense of dinner simmered alluringly in the air. Tohru was carrying out the platters, with a cheery, sunshine-bright smile, as was usual, Kyou only too evidently trying to retain his bored and sulky state of mind and Yuki lost in the inner chambers of thought, also as usual.

Shigure laughed playfully and paid many teasing compliments towards Tohru, but the usual spirit and fire was somewhat lacking in his play. His thoughts hovered between the curse and Kureno's alleged freedom, and then to Akito, the representation of God himself. An icy scowl crossed his lips at his name.

"Shigure?" Yuki was peering darkly at his older cousin, a suspicious look in his glassy silver eyes. The addressed chose not to look directly into them, as to avoid having the Mouse guess the nature of his slackish-ness. "Something…wrong?"

Yuki is sharp. Be careful.

"Eh?" Tohru and Kyou gradually caught on, glancing at him with inquiring eyes.

Shigure smiled, trying to sum up a high, perky voice. "Nothing's wrong! I guess such a delicious meal got the best of this old man." He patted his stomach jokingly, pleased to see a crimson flush wash over Tohru's face. Kyou, losing interest, directed his attention back to his dinner.

Yuki, who was watching Shigure closely with undefined scrutiny, was the last to turn away. Shigure was wholly relieved at being set free from his freezing gaze, though he would never have admitted how unnerving it was. Still – as long as Yuki didn't suspect anything – his plan would be carried out successfully – that dream would be fulfilled. Kyou, who spent his time brooding more than usual lately, wouldn't notice, seemingly blinded in his sulky rages, and Tohru-kun could never be suspicious, probably thinking him as just a perverted old man – he chuckled inwardly.

After Tohru had cleaned up and left for bed with the rest, Shigure stood and went out into the front porch, gazing out into the infinite darkness that rose in front of him. Sirius, the Dog Star, shone with an unnatural brightness tonight, pulsating radiantly as a cold diamond flare. This he noted as a good omen.

"We'll see who's the fool, Akito," he breathed vehemently into the twilight. "We'll see."

…just as you're about to reach him, he gets away.