Beauty and the Beast

A/N: This chapter is a little shorter than I'd like it to be but it is also the last of the chapter's saved on my harddrive. Everything after this is new.

By the way, for clarification (also applies to earlier and later chapters):

"Speech"

'Thoughts'

Emphasis or Memories

Please, enjoy!

"Miss Honda?" Yuki inquired, opening the door to Kyo's room to find Tohru staring out onto the balcony, wringing her hands and calling for Kyo. At the sound of his voice she spun around, her eyes wide with worry.

"Yuki, I'm so sorry! Kyo just ran out of the room and I think it was something I said, or did but I wasn't doing anything except I fell asleep. Oh! What if he wanted someone to talk to? It's all my fault! And now he's gone and what if he's not here when Hatori comes, then no one will be able to…" she had gone into complete panic-mode, carried away by the possibility that it was her fault that Kyo had left. Yuki raised a mollifying hand to silence her.

"It's not your fault, Miss Honda. Kyo is going through a terrible ordeal. I think he needs some time to think before we go looking for him. He's probably on the roof anyway," he gave her a comforting smile that brought her back down to earth but the worry was still there in the crease of her brow. 'And for once even I am worried about that stupid Cat. I think that this house would be better off without him but I wouldn't wish his fate on anyone,' Yuki thought to himself.

"Yuki, is it true?" Tohru said hesitantly, "That Kyo…that Kyo might never change back?"

Yuki froze on the edge of comforting her, completely at a loss at what to say. He knew right away that there was no lying to her but the truth was harsh and it was still too early to tell whether or not there was any hope for Kyo. "I don't know," was all he could say, "I don't think anybody does…even Akito," still wearing that perplexed look he walked over to sit on Kyo's bed and was soon joined by Tohru. For a while they sat in total silence, too overwhelmed to muster even small talk. The hush stretched across minutes that felt like hours, the only sound the creaking of the wind in the trees and the faint murmurs of Shigure and Hatori down that hall that was too quiet for either of them to make out.

Lost in thought it took Yuki a moment to figure out the source of the faint tremors that shook the bed, glancing towards Tohru he was surprised then horrified to realize that she was crying silently as was her way so she didn't disturb his thoughts. 'That's so like her,' he thought and wordlessly wrapped one arm around her. Not so close as to trigger the Curse, but it was enough. She grasped his hand like a life line and held it tight, her sobs finally taking voice as fat tear drops stained her skirt like rain. He was vaguely aware that Shigure and Hatori's conversation had ended and that the doctor would soon come up to examine Kyo. Catching Tohru's chin in his hand he touched his forehead to hers and felt her start at their sudden closeness. He gave her what he hoped was a comforting smile and said gently, "Don't worry, Miss Honda, we'll do everything we can for Kyo, you'll see," a tentative smile touched her face and Yuki reached up to brush away the last of her tears. Just then there was a quiet knock on the door and Hatori entered, his medical bag in hand.

"Come inside, Kyo, and I'll see what I can do," he said, looking passed Yuki and Tohru to the balcony.

There stood Kyo in his original form but he wasn't paying any attention to Hatori, instead staring with an unidentifiable expression at Tohru and Yuki. Tohru quickly pulled away and seemed ready to go to him but a narrowing of his reptilian eyes froze her where she stood. Swinging his head towards Yuki he flexed his claws and emitted a low snarl from deep within his chest. Hatori watched as the scene unfolded, his impassive mask hiding the initial shock of seeing the Cat's monstrous original form. Everything that he had heard was true, from the reptilian skull to the stench of the grave that lingered in the air around it. But being told what to expect did not prepare him for the shock of actually seeing it. Even knowing what he knew now he could not help but wonder what heinous crime the Cat committed to deserve such a loathsome form.

'Nothing,' he told himself, 'He's just a boy. A hurt and confused boy, probably angry at the world, who has done nothing wrong in his life but be born under the Cat,' and it was that boy that he was going to try to reach now and draw from the darkness that would surely consume him.

Before Kyo could once again flee to his rooftop haven, Hatori strode to his side and shut the screen door behind him, leaving Yuki and Tohru alone once more in Kyo's room.

"I'm here, Kyo," Hatori said, leaning against the balcony as he spoke to the creature that deep within housed the flame-haired young man. "I'm not sure what Yuki expected when he called me here but I'll do what I can to help you," Kyo refused to meet his eye, instead staring out of the corner of his eye at the closed balcony door as if he could see through it to the two teens on the other side. Hatori sighed inwardly, doubting that Kyo would be receptive to him in his present state but resolved to try anyway. "There is little I can do for you. As a doctor I am adept at healing physical injuries but the original form is far beyond that."

"Tell me something I don't know," Kyo muttered. Hatori noted with surprise that Kyo's speech was remarkably clear, more akin to that of his human form. Obviously he was adjusting to the unfamiliar set of vocal chords.

Hatori placed his bag on the ground and folded his arms, "Very well then, to get to the point, what is happening to you right now is unprecedented, even from the time before the rosary was used as a bracelet to contain the original form. The Cat has always transformed back into a human once the stress had passed. Clearly something is amiss."

"And what if it's not?" Kyo said in a surly voice.

Hatori's gaze was piercing, "Then there is nothing that any of us can do. For now let us assume that something has gone wrong."

'Because if hasn't I'm stuck like this…forever,' Kyo realized. It didn't seem real, not yet. Like what he had just witnessed in the other room. How could she? Deep down he had wanted her to tell him he was wrong, to make it all better like she had done for so many. But he knew…Tohru's words and insights could do nothing here, even she wanted to deal with something as loathsome as himself. 'Is it because she can't stand to look at me? What if she won't be able to bear it? What if she…leaves?'

"This does not mean you should distance yourself from us. Despite what you may believe even Yuki is concerned for you right now."

'Yeah right, like that damned Rat couldn't care less about what was happening to me. He's probably glad,' Kyo thought, 'Glad that I'm out of the picture so he can…' he couldn't even think it. He had just seen them on the verge of kissing. It was only a matter of time before Yuki told her how he felt. 'And then the Rat will have beat me again,' he thought, clenching his fists.

Hatori continued on, oblivious to the tortured thoughts running through Kyo's mind, "Can you tell me about the other instance of your transformation?" Besides when Kazuma ripped them off there was only that time front of Akito when he had been terrified out of his mind. Terrified and angry that he had been born with this...this demon inside of him just waiting to assume its shape…its original form. "Its very important that you…"

He had failed. All his life he had been fighting to keep the original form in check and he hadn't even known it. Somehow he had lost without even being aware there was a fight and now he had to pay the price. The image of the demon in his mind began to morph into the shape of another hated enemy…the Rat. Two battles to live a normal life, to be free to live his own life, and he had lost both. A wordless roar rose in the back of his throat but viciously smothered it, 'I am not an animal!' he thought fiercely, 'I may look like one but I won't become one!' for some reason Tohru's face flashed in his mind, strengthening his resolve, 'I won't!'

"Kyo, are you listening? You cannot withdraw into your shell or else you will lose what little hope you have," Hatori debated telling Kyo what he now knew about the Curse but reluctantly decided against it. Better not to give him false hope when there was still real hope to be found.

"What hope!" Kyo growled. "Did Akito put out the other eye too or are you just stupid? The beads are broken, I'm never gonna change back!" his eyes widened as the full weight of his own words hit him like a sledgehammer. 'Never going to…'

With a wordless howl of fear and a rush of air, Kyo was gone. Hatori's gaze swiveled to the ground, his ears cocked for the sound of Kyo dashing into the woods but there was none. He looked up just in time to see Kyo's clawed foot disappear over the eaves of the roof. Hatori's lips moved to call after him but no words came out. With a rueful sigh he picked up his medical bag and headed back inside. Standing at the door, his hand poised on the verge of pulling it open he looked up into the clear, starry sky." If you refuse to help yourself then there truly is no way any of us can help you. It is your own negative emotions that trap you," just loud enough for the Cat to hear. The balcony was flooded with light from inside the room then just as quickly slid back into darkness, leaving Kyo alone with his fear once more.

A/N: Much more to come, please review!