Me: Chapter 7. Once I start typing on the computer, ideas just COME to me!

Estelle: Congratulations. You want a medal?

Koji: Nope, she wants to rule the world.

Me: You guys are mean.

Estelle: And you own nothing.

Me: Not true! You, Koji, Katsuya(teen), Kyoko(kid), Megumi-

Koji: This can go on.

Chapter 7: A Long Day...

Well, Kyoko got off with a week of being grounded. Which is not fun. Nothing to do but read, eat, and sleep. Tohru recovered from her sickness, and Kyo had cooled off. Katsuya was able to find the courage to approach his father after two days from the outburst. Wow. Kyo can be very scary.

Anyway...

Katsuya pointed out, "Dad, it's nearing Christmas. We should go out later."

Kyo looked at him, and suddenly realized, "Oh...it is, isn't it?"

Kyoko came in the room sleepily, "Morning."

"Umm...Kyoko? It's almost eleven-thirty." Katsuya dumbly replied.

"It's early for late risers." Kyoko challanged.

Katsuya opened his mouth to reply, then decided it wasn't worth it. Then, he turned his attention back to his dad, "Hey, can I go to Grandpa Kazuma's later?" Katsuya and Kyoko were very fond of their father's old master, and Kazuma was the only one that lived...well, like he does, and knows the secret without being in it himself.

"Me too, me too!" Kyoko's eyes went wide, "I wanna train some more!"

Katsuya muttered under his breath, "Didn't that kid just wake up?..."

"Well...I wouldn't have a problem with it." Kyo shrugged. Then, pointed at Kyoko, "You, however...will stay in your brother's SIGHT. Do. You. Understand. Me?"

"Yes, Dad." Kyoko sighed, disappointed. Great. Having to stay nearby her brother the whole time.

"Then you can go. Better hurry, and you can catch the beginning of the lesson."

"Okay."

The siblings got ready to go quickly, and left the house by eleven fourty-five. They ran swiftly through the streets of town, and came to a countryside area, then turned sharply. They were greeted suddenly by Kazuma Sohma, formally Kyo's teacher. Even though he'd been in his late fourties when Kyo was in high school, he was in his late sixties, yet still had a somewhat young look to him except for more wrinkles in his spirited face. "Oh, Katsuya. Kyoko. You are just in time. I was coming to get my paper, then start. And Katsuya..." Kazuma winked, "Nari's here today, too."

Katsuya instantly felt his face get warm. Thanks the Gods that Kyoko was younger and less experienced than he was, and she was in a different class. Otherwise, she go singing: 'Katsuya li-kes Nari! Katsuya wants to da-te her!'

Kids, huh?

Anyway, they ran inside, and got in their classes. Nari, Shin, Toro, and Megumi greeted him. Some of his other cousins were also present in the room. Kosuke Sohma, who was a scary looking, miniature Kureno, and was the Rooster, was there. Except he had his mother's Yankee blood. Then, there was his step-family, I guess you could call them. Daiki and Riku Aurion, who were the Snake and Tiger. Daiki had his father's black hair and his mother's silver eyes while Riku was the opposite. She had her father's golden eyes and her mother's dirty blonde hair. They had no clue how they were on the Aurion side and became the Sohma Zodiac, so...they were like step-cousins. They greeted him as well.

Katsuya was probably flushing so much when he saw the only opened area was near Nari. He mumbled under his breath, and took his seat next to her, and let loose a deep breath. He grinned, "How are you, Nari?"

"I'm good, I guess. Just sittin' here, waiting on Shishou." Nari shrugged, "How're you?"

"Oh, I'm fine." Katsuya quickly answered.

"That's good." Nari smiled.

Katsuya felt more happy. He loved her smile more than anything. She was tomboy-ish, she knew karate, she stood up for herself and others, she loved to be outdoors...what was there NOT to like? Well, to him, at least.

"..uya. Katuysa, why are you staring?"

CRAP! Katsuya Sohma, HOW could you do the oldest thing in the FREAKIN' BOOK?! Katsuya screamed in his head.

"Nothing. Sorry. I just...blanked out."

"Are you-"

Katsuya was saved when Kazuma walked in, announcing they were working on their final exams for becoming full Black Belts. Katsuya had been waiting for this for so long, he couldn't wait! They had to go through a small ordeal- sparring for warm-ups, they had to complete some simple tasks, then do one final, secret thing given by the Shishou himself.

"Pairings are: Toro and Megumi, Shin and Kosuke, Nari and Katsuya, Daisuke and Riku, Daiki and Mereko, and June and Yokio. Got it?" Kazuma read off his list.

Only one student didn't respond 'yes, sir'...Katsuya. His heart skipped a beat when he read that he and Nari were sparring. But, then...he was sort of brought back to reality when Nari gave him a playful push, "C'mon, scaredy Cat! Bring it on."

Katsuya smirked, "As you wish."

Well, they sparred, and it ends up no one really won. Wanna know why? Okay, I'll tell you. It ends up that Katsuya and Nari were too close to Toro and Megumi, and Megumi had brought up a fist, and went to punch, but, uh...Toro dodged it, hitting Katsuya's back, scaring the crap outta him, and he kinda, well...FELL on top of Nari.

Katsuya burned up, and could've sworn he saw a little red in Nari's cheeks, up flew up too fast, apologizing to have really seen it. Later, after everyone had surpassed their trials, and were waiting on Kazuma to address each one of them with a task, Toro nudged Katsuya, "Hey, hey, hey! Nice move, man!"

"Shut up!" Katsuya flushed, "It was an accident! Besides, I'm a little worried of..." they leaned forward to see the siblings at the other end of the line, "...her older brother." And he eyed Shin.

"Oh, there's normally always an older sibling, a mom and a dad you have to go through! Suck it up, be a man!" Toro cheered.

Then, Kazuma called, "Toro! Since you seem to be more than ready, come forward."

"See ya." Toro ran up to his Shishou, "Yes, Shishou?"

Kazuma muttered something in his ear, and Toro nodded, running off. "Nari..." he called, "Shin...Megumi..." then, he finally got to: "Katsuya."

Katsuya was about to run with excitement, but maintained himself. He approached, "Yes, Shishou?"

"I want you to go to the next room and bring Kyoko here."

"That's it?"

"Perhaps. Do it."

"Yes, Shishou."

Katsuya rushed off, and a minute later, returned with his little sister. Kyoko walked up to Kazuma, and he whispered something in her ear, and she frowned. He looked questionably at his master and sister. She looked at him and shrugged, then Katsuya glared. But before Kazuma told him what to do, he called all the others up, telling them what to do.

Then, he turned his attention to his 'grandchildren'.

"I have a special task for you, Katsuya."

"Then why did you need Kyoko in here as well?"

"She is going to be lookout."

As he said it, Kyoko whispered, "Good luck," left the room, and stood guard outside.

"What?...Shishou, what is my task?" Katsuya demanded.

"Simple. If you know how. Yours is the only kind you can do, aside from your cousins. That's what they're doing now."

"What is it?"

"You have to see how much your body can take before it transforms."

"Huh?"

"You heard me."

"Y-yes, Shishou...but...how am I supposed to do that?"

"Oh, easy..."

A few minutes later, Katsuya was holding a position, bracing himself on top of a tall pile of bricks. He inhaled and exhaled slowly. Then, he sighed, "Ready."

Kazuma then picked up some spare cement blocks and placed them in Katsuya's hands. He was slightly surprised on how the bricks weren't as heavy as he thought, but he knew more was coming. Kazuma continually dropped them in his hands until the pile was horridly tall, and Kazuma then told Katsuya to hold his position.

-----Katsuya's POV

The pain was burning my hands, my feet, my body. I felt so tired. I wondered for a while how much my body could take, and now I didn't really want to find out. I listened to Shishou, but then, he mysteriously went to another room. I groaned. Please, Shishou...don't do what I think you're gonna do...please don't...please...please, please... But then, I felt a cold drop on my head. I'd look up, but I'd be afraid I'd lose my balance.

Then another one...

And another.

Crap. He did do it.

Then, I felt myself suddenly sleepy and wet.

Shishou turned on the water.

Great. Jjjuuuusssstttt GREAT.

He came back in, "This is the real way to challange you. See how long you can hold out. If you feel it's too much, just simply say so."

Curse my father's determination that runs in my veins. Now I couldn't quit. I didn't want to. I had to prove my worth so I can stay near-

DON'T THINK LIKE THAT, KATSUYA! Ugh, I hate it when I think like that...she's my COUSIN, for goodness sakes. But then again, Aunt Rin and Uncle Haru were cousins, and so were Hiro and Kisa. Maybe it's not totally wrong...

I suddenly groaned in pain. I was panting to hold.

But I couldn't.

...Stupid water.

The next thing I saw was blackness.

-----Regular POV

"Big brother!!!!!!" Kyoko shrieked, forgetting she wasn't supposed to be looking. She saw her brother change rapidly into his Cat form, and the blocks fell. But Kazuma was fast. He caught Katsuya, and he avoided the blocks.

Kyoko ran inside, and looked, "Is he alright? Will he be okay?"

"He'll be fine. He lasted longer than I thought he would." Kazuma nodded. "Get his clothes, would you please?"

Kyoko hesitated, then nodded, and moved some blocks to get to his clothes. She picked them up and folded them, holding them close.

Then, they heard running footsteps after the water shut off. Nari, Toro, Shin, Megumi, Daiki, and Riku were at the door. Nari burst, "What happened?!"

"Nothing. I might've given too much for him." Kazuma handed Katsuya to Nari, "Watch him for a minute. I'll be right back."

Nari stuttered when Kazuma handed her Katsuya, and she heard her brother mutter under his breath. She looked down at the hard breathing Cat. She shook her head, and smiled gently. Then, his blue eyes opened. He groaned, "Nari?...What the hell happened to me?..."

Toro laughed, "Kyo! His genes kicked in again! TWICE! HAHAHA!"

Nari smacked him, then answered, "You blacked out, I guess. Shishou said he may've given you too much to handle."

Katsuya forgot the others were around. He focused on Nari, "Ya know...I've been wanting to tell you something for a while."

"What?"

"I...I lo-"

Then, orange smoke filled the room.

All the girls (including Kyoko) screamed, "PERVERT!!!!" and smacked him as the boys turned and walked away.

Later that day...

Katsuya punched his wall after telling Kyo what'd happened, "Why?! Why?!" then, he repeatidly bashed his head on the wall, "Why?! Why?! Why?! Why can't I just simply TELL HER?!?!?!?! WWWWHHHHYYY?!"

Kyo simply patted his son's back out of sympathy.

Me:...Toro, Shin, and Nari! And the other Nari for Tales of Symphonia. She's my reincarnation.

Estelle: Aww...poor Katsuya! He can't tell the girl he loves that he loves her. Poor kid.

Koji: Well, I managed to tell you soon after I met you.

Estelle: (smirks) I'm glad you did.

Yuriko: I'm hungry!

Me: Thanks for interrupting, Yuriko. I thought they were gonna get lovey-dovey on me.

Yuriko: You're welcome. Read and review, readers!