Alright, this is what I believe, recall to issue 11 when Kanako is talking by herself, on how to mimic Naru... (Well its either 11 or 12...) That time she was using ventriloquistism, but the other tim's had Kuro speaking for himself. I'm not sure but I believe Kuro speaks on his own.


"Thank you meow." Tomo looked shocked, it was like a fairytale, but she didn't know what to do, she was talking to a cat! This wasn't like a cartoon. Tomo backed away a bit.

"Did you just-" Kuro nodded, and tried to stand but couldn't. Tomo felt her face become all flush and her entire body paralyzed. Her face was incredibly hot and she felt rather ill. Maybe this is all just an illusion, maybe I'm still asleep. What are the odds that something like this would happen?

"Meow." Tomo started to yell.

"Oni-chan!" He came rather quickly, he wore a worried look on his face.

"Tomo whats the matter!" He was rubbing his shin, which he had probably smacked against the stair case as he was climbing up.

"It talks I swear that the cat is talking!" His expression changed and he patted her head.

"You really shouldn't worry people like that, crying wolf is never a good thing." Of course he didn't believe me, who in their right mind would?

"But it did..." He placed his hand on her forehead, she felt full of fatigue, and wanted o lie down.

"Tomo your really hot! What in the world!" She tilted her head and found things to happen a bit too swiftly.

(A few minutes later.)

Tomo is laying in bed, her throat kinda soar, and just realized that she had conjured up a fever over the night, maybe it was because of the rain. They were thinking of rescheduling to go visit grandma Hinata, but she insisted that they go. The fever was very light, and she could shake out of it by tomorrow... Mother was relunctant but she agreed. Besides, she wanted to meet this grandma Hinata. Keitaro walks into the room wearing a solemn expression on his face.

"Oni-chan, is something the matter?" Keitaro sat down beside her, peting Kuro who had made residents on the top of the covers. Maybe I was just delerious? Hahaha thats right, I must have imagined it all. She smiled at Keitaro, who continued to pet Kuro.

"You have to take better care of yourself Tomo... Its really unsafe when you have a fever." His facial expression said that he was really worried, especially his voice.

"I'm fine, I just feel warm, and a little weak in the legs." She spoke out slowly.

"Well you rest up then, we'll be heading to Tokyo in about 3 hours, lets hope you feel a bitbetter by then." He left patting her on the head and thenshe was alone. Tomo looked around the room, it was dark in his room because she had forgotten to open the curtains. Everything was like a memory of her past...

"Mommy, I don't feel so good..." Her mother and her father were driving the car to the hospital, was she really in that much trouble to go to the hospital around 1 a.m.?

"Dear, shes already at a 101 degrees." She pulled out the thermometer from her mouth.

"We'll be there in 5 minutes." They hit a speed bump and she felt herself roll to the edge a bit.

"Mommy, am I okay?" She started to wipe a wet towel on her face it felt pleasent in the intense heat. "Why is it so hot today?" Its raining outside, and she wonders how it is that she was practically sweating buckets.

"You gotta stand still Tomo, if you move to much, you might generate some extra heat..." A tearfell on her face, and rolled down her cheeck.

"Mommy, why are you crying?"

"Its nothing Tomo, you should just close your eyes, I'm sure that the doctors can do something when we get there..." Was I really in that much trouble?

"Tomo! Tomo are you awake!" Keitaro was shaking her a bit, while Kuro was trying to scratch his arm away from her. His face was literally in hers and she could smell the miso coming from his breath.

"I'm okay oni-chan, just a little sleepy..." She answered him very weakly.

"Okay, you worried me there fro a minute," he went to the side revealing a small glass cup, "water?" She happily accepted it and she tilted the cup so that she drink it, she prefered it if he had given her s straw like the hospital had, but that worked out just fine also. He left momentarily, taking the cup so that he could refill it. Tomo sighed and was hesitant to pet Kuro, again, she was still a little freaked out.

"You okay now moew?" Kuro crawled closer to her face and rubbed his head against hers, he smelled wet and stinky. And scent that she really did not like.

"So you can speak..." She scratched hi behind the ear, and he purred with excitement. Maybe its just the medicine mom gave me...

"I speak, but only to you..." He yawned and curled up in the front of her a bit.

"But why just to me? The others are gonna think that I'm a nut." If they hadn't already thought so...

"Because you saved me meow. And I wouldn't be special if everyone knew that I could do this..."

"So your like a guardian angel?" His voice was like a baby, maybe like something from digimon/

"I didn't say that, but if you think it sounds better meow, I don't mind at all."

"Okay then..." She went silent when she heard a creaking from the stairs. Keitaro reappeared back at the door, holding another cup full of water, he had filled it to the brim and was trying to balance it. he brought a straw with him this time. "Thank you oni-chan." He placed it on the drawer that was to the side of her.

"No problem really, you just rest up so that when we go to grandma Hinata later, you'll be able to smile." Tomo smiled and he laughed. "Well you get some sleep now alright?" He left the room looking at Kuro before he left.

"Is he gone meow?" He tried to stretch but a sight of strain could be seen on his face as he tried to move his damaged leg.

"Yeh, he is..." She looked at Kuro, who proceded to fall asleep also. He looked tired, and most likely was because he still hadn't recovered yet. I wonder if I can take him with me...

"Tomo?" He looked so cute despite the fact that he was scrawny, she wanted to hug him to death.

"What is it Kuro," she was still finding it hard to believe that she was talking to a cat...

"Whats for breakfast?"


She felt a whole lot better later, able to walk around at least. Their plans were not delayed though, her things, were packed all ready for her, and she was able to bring Kuro along with her. She walked about trying to stretch her legs, as Kuro sat on her shoulder. He was stinky so it was decided that she would give him a bath.

"Hey now don't struggle!" He didn't listen, he flailed a bit more before he got tired and gave up. She held his other paw, making sure that it wouldn't get wet, the wound needed to stay dry in order to heal properly.

"Why meow!" He was still as she scrubbed him with an old wash towel that Osuke had given her.

"Becuase if you smell bad, they might want to kick you out." She said bluntly.

"Would that mean having to leave you meow?"

"Definetly... Kuro?"

"Clean me nicely then! I wouldn't want to leave you."

"Thats nice, but quit trying to hide there's nowhere to run."

(Later after she dried him off.)

"What next meow?"

"Ribbons..." She pulled out a ribbon attached to a clip.

"But I'm a guy meow." He limped away a bit, trying to run from an invisible enemy.

"But I'm a girl..." She tried to adjust the ribbons, just so that she would seem that she was presentable.But it was a struggle to do it... They were black ribbons, ones that her mother had given her before... Keitaro walked in taking a good look at her.

"You look pretty cute there Tomo." She was wearing an anime sweat shirt, Trigun.

"Oh Tomo look what I have for you!" Risa walked in holding a long black skirt, with a white vest... Tomo looked at it and took it, closing the door to Keitaro as she and Risa attempted to put it on. It was a gothic look, and the vest had frills on it giving it a rather kinky look. She liked it a lot.

"I like it.." It was true, she twirled about a bit to show that she appreciated the gift.

"I'm glad you like it, get ready though, we head to the train in less than an hour." She left, taking her clothes with her, to probably put into the bag.

"Okay mom." They opened the door, and Keitaro stood out there waiting for her.

"Okay how long are we staying there again?"

"The weekend Keitaro, be sure to pack enough clothing..."

"Alright..." He walked off, and Risa took Tomo by the arm and took her downstairs. She wanted t stay with Keitaro but she had no choice but to follow her. He took her down stairs where she showed her a case full of clothing. They were all new, and all of them gothic... Either mom liked the look, or she was just really lucky. Of course there were some normal clothing, stuff to wear when she was at home.

"You remind me so much of Kanako." She sighed.

"Who's that?" She was curious now, Keitaro had call her that once, who was she?

"Oh nobody, lets get you some ice cream to cool you down, you'd like that won't you." Of course she didn't like sweets, but she just couldn't decline after what she gave her. They went into the kitchen and her got her some rocky road, a former favorite.

"Okay." They left rather quickly, and she found out that Osuke was staying to run the shop, grandma Hinata's blood line was through Risa's. The train ride was quick, and it was her first time on one. She was scared be cause at the speed she saw it coming, came to much of a shock to her.

Tomo walked in hesitantly though, Kuro sat on her shoulder, and she woundered how he was able to stay there. They took their seats and everything was like a blur. It was exciting to be on the train traveling so fast. She had taken the seat by the window so that she could get a view of how fast they were moving. Keitaro fell asleep as did Risa.Kuro crawled closer to her ears though and whispered to he.

"Where are we going meow?" He rubbed his face against hers, he smelled like strawberries.

"We're going to grandma Hinata's remember,"she moved her face away from him and tilted her face to the window. Everything was so fast, that it almost made her dizzy, she was still kinda hot from the fever but she was alright. They passed by numerous amounts of cars, and eventually it seemed that everything else was in slow mode.

"Kuro, where is Tokyo?"


They finally reached their stop about an hour later, and her legs were zipping from pain for sitting around too long. As they left, an old vendor sat in front of the exit and was selling some spagetti sandwhiches. Risa bought 3, she and Keitarodevoured it rather quickly, Tomo nibbled hers slowly, taking pieces off for Kuro who ate them delightfully.They took buses to get to their destination, and Tomo was hit with amazement. The entrance wasn't even in sight becuase of the long stone stairway. There were cherry blossom trees lined up, all of them in bloom releasing a flurry of pink. She personally didn't like pink but this time she would make an exception. It rained beauty all around she had to admit and eventually she caught one and strummed it across her pal. She stopped and looked up at a whole blossom which was falling in her direcion. She caught it and placed it behind her ears. It wasn't like her to do that, but it was more of a spur of the moment kind of thing.

The wind picked up slowly and the pretty pink petals seemed to surround her, performing a small dance for her as they flew around her. Kuro tried to scratch some of them, but caught none. The stair case was long and grueling, due to her fever. Keitaro held the bags, snd Risa walked by her side, holding something. It was a camera, and she told her to hold still. She didn;t and walked over the ledge.

"Say cheese Tomo." She had positioned herself in front of a cherry blossom tree and tilted her head just to pose, and she answered back.

"I don't like cheese."