Pairing: This chapter contains slight Haru/Yuki
Rating: M
Warnings: There is also slight OOC, minor language, minor violence, and blood
Disclaimer: I don't own Fruits Basket, Natsuki Takaya does.

Yuki's eyes opened only to be surprised that the cold chill from the night before had diminishes into the past. He looked around, watching as the sun was shining through the window, all of the fear that he had of their demise finally gone. He wasn't sure why it left so quickly, whether it was truly just a nightmare or if it was the fact that Haru had stayed the night with him.

Haru was more help than Yuki thought he would be. Just a moment lying up against his warmth was enough to calm the demons that had threatened him for so long. Even now in his embrace, he felt as though he could make it throughout the day. And for just a little while longer he stayed in bed to hear the sound of his younger cousin breathing, to feel the gentle beating of his heart.

Just as the story of the Zodiac had stated, the ox did the unthinkable for the rat, giving him the opportunity to be first, being deemed unintelligent for the feat. But unlike the "dirty rat", Yuki was grateful for Haru's guidance. He would be lost without him.

Knowing that he was wasting too much time, Yuki left Haru's embrace, moving closer to the door. As he descended the stairs he heard the voice of someone who he thought would never come to this house unless it was an emergency.

"Hatori?" he asked himself as he moved down the stairs even faster. As he arrived at the bottom, he saw the doctor sitting next to Shigure. All the fears that he had came back for a second as he looked forward, Hatori would never come over here just to talk.

"Good morning, Hatori," Yuki breathed as he walked forward, noticing the dragon look up at him. "I didn't know you came here…"

"I was looking for Hatsuharu," Hatori stated calmly, not hinting at the fact that he had stayed over due to paranoia that he shared with Shigure. "He didn't come home last night. I wanted to know that he was alright."

Yuki looked at the two adults, knowing that they were curious about what had happened, knowing that they knew about the nightmare. He could tell from all of the extinguished cigarettes in the ashtray before them and the infectious smell of coffee that they had been up all night talking about what it could have been. They were clueless and foolish. They didn't want to know what the dream was about, it would be enough to keep them within their houses for the rest of their lives.

Yet even in the wake of all of this pain, Yuki looked out the window and saw that the dark clouds had cleared. There was nothing but happiness outside, nothing but hope that the dream had descended into darkness where it belonged. As long as there was light, there was no way he could be haunted any longer.

"I have to go to school," he stated as he grabbed his bag and walked toward the stairs. "It was nice seeing you Hatori," he looked at Haru as he moved toward the stairs, his heart racing as he saw the look in his eyes. "Hi…" he walked past him quickly, leaving a blank look on the younger boy's face.

Haru's eyes then looked at the table to see Hatori. "What are you doing here?"

"I was worried about you. You didn't come home last night. Did you get lost?" Hatori asked as he looked over at the ox. "Or did something come up?"

Haru scoffed at the man's questions and concerns, sick of hearing him talk with that tone. "You're not my father, Hatori, stop acting like it. I did get lost, so I decided to stay the night. Stop worrying about it."

The dragon quickly unsheathed a cigarette and placed it between his lips, igniting it quickly as his eyes closed. "You should come home today, everyone was worried about you. We thought something happened to you."

Haru remembered the dream that Yuki had, if those thoughts were even close to the thoughts that were running through Hatori's mind, then Haru knew that he was more than worried, he was terrified. He looked up at the doctor, his heart sinking as he realized that he wasn't pushing this time, he wasn't trying to control him, he was genuinely worried.

"I will," Haru breathed. "I'm sorry that I made you worry…"

Hatori was about to say something to Haru as they were interrupted with the arrival of Kyou. Immediately as the cat came down, Haru moved to the door walking away from the conversation. Hatori's eyes moved to the cat, noticing that he was looking right at him, a scoff passing his lips.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Kyou asked as he looked at Hatori. "Don't you have something better to do? Did you stay the night or something?"

Shigure laughed at that outburst, his eyes looking up at Kyou. "Now, Kyou-kun, you know that we can't just kick Haa-san out, you really should respect your elders. It was cold last night," he closed his eyes as he sighed. "Too cold for anyone to be outside. Just thinking about…"

"Damn it! Shut the hell up!" Kyou breathed as he looked at Shigure, quickly grabbing his school bag. "Where's Tohru, I would hate for her to be late to school."

"She's already on her way," Hatori breathed as he took a sip of coffee, his eyes closing as he thought about the chill in the air. He was never one to believe in premonitions, but for once he was starting to question that. "Yuki should be leaving soon."

Kyou rolled his eyes in disgust at that name. "Then I'll have to get on the road before that damn rat does," he walked toward the door without even saying goodbye, the two adults looking into their coffee cups, Hatori nervously taking a drag of his cigarette.

Hatori moved to put out his cigarette as opened his eyes, looking up at Shigure. "I don't feel sure about this. Something seems to be wrong…"

"What do you mean?" Shigure asked, putting his cup down, his eyes starting to double in size as he realized what his cousin was thinking.

"Something's coming," Hatori shook his head. "I didn't want to believe it, but I think only misfortune is going to come to us. I felt it in the air last night, and even now I still feel as if something is coming…"

Shigure sighed, the same feeling was rolling through him as well. "Should we tell them not to go to school today?"

Hatori took out the pack of cigarettes, his eyes fixated on them as he thought about what was happening. It would never happen. A dream could never come true, especially not one that could make all of their lives end. He had invisioned something to the same degree. He saw blood and death, a man with a smile on his face, laughing at what he had done. Even as he saw it, he knew it could never happen.

"I don't think it's that serious," Hatori answered as he looked at the stairs, hearing Yuki come closer. "It's just paranoia."

Yuki walked toward the door ignoring the looks on his cousins' faces. "Goodbye, I'll be home early today…"

As the door closed Shigure looked up at Hatori, watching his eyes fixate on the pack of cigarettes. The dog sighed as he realized the dark cloud had come again, blocking out the sun that had been shining on them so brilliantly this morning. And once again a chill passed through the room. There was something coming, something serious.

"Is it just us being paranoid?" Shigure asked, his voice low. "Or is this real?"

"It wouldn't be the first time we were wrong about something," he extended the pack of cigarettes to Shigure.

Shigure took a cigarette, lighting it quickly. "It wouldn't be the first time we were right," he inhaled a drag. "Besides, it's gotten cold again…"

0o0o0o0o0o0

Haru looked forward as he thought about what was going on with Hatori and Shigure. What had caused them to stay up all night? Did they know? Haru shook his head as he looked forward, thinking about school. Of course they didn't know. The nightmare had passed; they had seen the last of it. He was so caught up in his thoughts that he didn't notice Yuki walking past him.

"Yuki?" he asked, he ran to be next to him. "How are you?"

"I'm fine," Yuki smiled as he looked forward.

Haru smiled as he realized that the nightmare was really dead, they could go on with their lives not thinking about this pain anymore. They looked into each other's eyes as they smiled, starting to slow down. They could live again.

"Do you think today will be better?" Haru asked.

"I think so…" Yuki stated softly, walking faster so he was in front of Haru.

That was when Haru noticed the car, his body stopping as he realized that the car was starting to slow down as it came closer to Yuki. He tried to call out to Yuki, but his voice escaped him. At that moment he started to move toward his cousin, tripping over his feet, causing him to stop.

"Yuki!" he screamed as Yuki looked back at him.

The car stopped right next to Yuki. A man got out of the car, his onyx eyes haunting both of the teenagers to no end. His arm was reaching out to Yuki, the rat's heart racing as he felt him touch his shoulder.

"Souma Yuki," the man stated as he grasped Yuki. "You're coming with us."

"Let go of me!" Yuki screamed as he tried to fight him off, kicking, screaming, and pulling himself away from his body.

Just then a blond woman from the car, Haru and Yuki stopped as they looked at her, she was beautiful. Her golden blond hair was tied back into a high ponytail, save a few strands that had been let loose to frame her face. Her green eyes froze Yuki in place as the man continued to grab him.

"Stay down," she called out as she pushed her fist into his stomach forcing him to the ground. "Insolent vermin…"

Haru finally got to his feet as he watched them reach down and grab Yuki's body, starting to drag him to the car, his breathing sharp and labored. "Let him go!" Haru yelled as he ran toward the car the man and woman looking straight at him.

Another woman emerged from the car, this time a redhead. "Foolish ox!"

She tightly grasped Haru's head; he could feel small bolts of pain on his scalp as she pulled tighter and tighter. He tried to breathe as she pulled him back, but it was difficult. Just then, his head collided with the car, blood falling from his flesh.

Everything was getting hazy as the world turned haphazardly, his mind deceiving him. He knew that these were the people from Yuki's dream; these were the people that were going to kill them. His heart raced as his breathing became more diffcult, a heavy gravity pushing down on his chest, crushing his lungs under his ribcage. This was the nightmare that they had experienced; this was the end of the Zodiac.

He closed his eyes silently apologizing to Yuki, he couldn't save him, and now they had to pay the price: their lives. He fell into the dark chasm as he heard the man laugh, lifting his body from the ground, pulling him to his doom.

"Mission accomplished."

Sorry for the delay.