A/N: Akito is still female, but Yuki and Kyo still don't know that so they refer to her (in their thoughts) using a male pronoun.

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Kyo woke up when the phone rang. Blearily, he rubbed his eyes and went over to it, thinking Shigure was probably still asleep – it was so late at night that it was almost morning, and so it would have been unusual for the odd-sleep-scheduled writer to be up at this time.

"Hello?" he asked, in a not-too-friendly voice.

The voice on the other end made him freeze. "Hello, Kyo," responded Akito coldly. He could tell he was in a bad mood – but what the hell was he doing on the phone? He'd never heard or seen him use it before.

"I need to talk to Yuki."

"Yea, sure," he mumbled, still in shock. When he realized he'd have to be the one who woke the rat up, he couldn't help but think with dread, Dammit!

Yuki couldn't rightfully blame him for what the god wanted...but Kyo didn't think he'd wait long enough to hear an explanation – after being so abruptly shaken from sleep.

He wondered if he should just place the phone near Yuki, near enough that the god's voice would wake him up. But Kyo thought that might be worse – and Yuki was sure to get him for it later.

He sighed, then nervously made his way to the rat's room. Best to get out the explanation right away, so that the rat couldn't fault him for any of it. "Get up ya damn rat! Akito wants to talk to ya!" he shouted, holding his hand over the phone so that the god couldn't hear their conversation.

Yuki heard the words distantly, as if they were an echo. Akito wanted to talk to him? The god was here? Fear shot through him. He forced himself to sit up and stare at Kyo.

"Wh-what?"

Kyo was startled by the tremor in his voice. Weren't he and Akito best buds or something?

"He's on the phone," muttered the cat, shoving it at him.

Yuki took it, holding it gingerly, as if it would poison him if he got too close.

"H-hello?" Kyo slipped out of the room, feeling relieved to have escaped Yuki's wrath.

"I need you to come back to the main house. There is something you need to see."

Yuki froze. Come back to the main house? "For – for how long?" he asked, with a tiny thread of hope.

"For a day," the god answered, filling Yuki with relief – but at the same time, dismay. Akito didn't sound too happy.

And when the god wasn't happy, well…the people around him usually weren't, either.

"Today," continued Akito, sounding somewhat harried. Yuki inhaled quickly to steady himself.

"Y-yes, Akito-sama."

"Stop that," she snapped, annoyed. He took another breath.

"Yes, Akito-sama," he replied dutifully, knowing what the god had meant. Akito had never been given to stuttering. Yuki kept thinking he'd kicked that habit – but it returned whenever the god spoke to him…as swiftly as it had gone.

Always.

The god hung up, leaving Yuki staring at the phone in astonishment. He got the impression that something had happened – something important enough to make him call, anyway.

But call him, personally? Akito never had in the past…it worried Yuki.

Why had he called him now?

He put the phone back and made his way into the kitchen automatically. He was surprised to see Hatori in there, drinking a glass of water. But he didn't say anything. Instead, he waited until the dragon had set the glass down on the table.

"Hatori? What are you doing here?" Hatori paused before answering.

"Shigure will be away for a couple of days. I've come to fill you two in on a couple of things, that being one of them."

"Shouldn't you wait for that stupid cat, then," muttered Yuki. Hatori frowned.

"Yes, well, he's not exactly cooperative at the moment." Yuki figured he wasn't. He was probably still too upset over Tohru's absence. She'd been spending more and more time at her job lately – which wasn't something Kyo could readily forget. "There's been a fire at the main house," Hatori went on, after taking a quick sip of water. "Kyo will find out about it soon enough – I just thought you should know….Akito isn't in the best of moods right now, and that is why."

"A – a fire?" Yuki couldn't quite believe what he was hearing. The house had always seemed so indestructible – and now the doctor was telling him it had been burnt down.

"Yes," confirmed the dragon, setting down his cup. "Last night, in fact." His eyes wandered over to Yuki, who suddenly felt uncomfortable. Hatori seemed to look right through a person sometimes – he certainly seemed to be trying to now. But after about a minute he sighed, perhaps unable to get a clear read on his younger cousin. "If you have no more questions, then I'll be taking my leave."

Yuki had more questions, but wasn't sure he wanted to know the answer to them. So he just nodded, letting Hatori pass him and walk out the door.

He stood there for a while, stunned.

This will change everything.

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Please review! I'd terribly love some input~