AN#0.5: The first set of Italics are a little reminder of the previous chapter, and the second set are a flashback, the true origin of which will be released in the (unnamed?) sequel.

Please enjoy

Kaytii/

… What use was I to anyone…?

… What purpose did I have in this pitiful life…?

… Couldn't I just break free from this curse of a life and di--…?

"Now why would you want to do that, girl?" A cruel, twisted voice whispered to me from the shadows, the dark, empty shadows.

My head snapped up instantly and saw a figure lurking in the alcove behind me.

"H…how long have you been there?" I couldn't help stuttering, I was still in shock that someone, he was there, and had got there without anyone knowing.

"Long enough…" He trailed off, as if telling me the truth was not worth his precious time.

That made me angry.

How could he just say stuff like that, and mean it?

"What do you want?" I didn't know how to keep him calm… or sane, so I just spoke softly, with no emotion in my voice, so that my fear wouldn't be betrayed.

As he walked out of the alcove and crouched next to my bed, I twisted round violently to see his smirk there, on his face.

"Why, Hotaru, I'm here to finish our conversation…"

"What?"

Why was he saying all this?

Why couldn't he just spit out what he wanted to say, rather than talking in bloody riddles all of the time?

"I said that I'm here to finish our conversation, after all, you came here for a reason, didn't you?"

Of course I came here to tell him something… but what? There was… an animal in my room… a big dog? A talking dog…?

"Onee-san, why do they keep you inside all the time?"

"Why, little firefly?" She always addressed me like that, telling me that saying our names out loud was not a good thing to do, with all the scary tattooed people around. "Because they are frightened of me."

"Why are they frightened of you though Onee-san? You aren't scary."

She smiled sadly down at me, the twinkle in her eyes long gone.

"You must understand, firefly, that I am dangerous, not only to the tattooed people, but also to the outside world. I could kill someone like that…"

As she clicked her fingers her eyes narrowed and closed, her face full of rage and destruction. I was only little, and scared, but even then I knew she was in pain…

"Onee-san…" I reached out gently and put my tiny hand on her shoulder. "That's not your fault. You do know that don't you. You wouldn't be like this if they let you out of here, and be with other humans, you'd be calm, and wouldn't hurt anyone."

"How can you be so sure that I'm not a killer?"

"How can you be sure that you are one? They haven't told you, they don't speak our language. Why are you so sure?"

"It was a long time ago, firefly, before you came here. I have lived here most my life, so I was told, left here by my mother when she found out what I was. I was only young, seven or eight, when the head of the Sohma's, our family, came to visit me for the first and only time, when she was first told about me."

"Are you talking about Akito-sama? But Akito's a boy!"

"No, the creator is a girl, as the original was. Most people only talk about the beginning of the zodiac tale, how the Creator ordered a banquet for all her animals, and how they came, and how the zodiac was formed. A few know about the trick that the rat played on the cat, and how the cat was left out of the banquet, meaning that the cat is looked down on by the other zodiac members. But there was a deeper secret, firefly, a secret that only the cursed may ever remember; like that boy you say transform. There was another part to that story, firefly, and only the cursed creator truly knows about it now, having seen the proof of it…"

"So… what happened? Why is there a secret?"

"You don't need to know, firefly, no… don't argue." She saw my protesting and shushed me. "But I can tell you this; I feel the end running through my veins, and I now know that it will all be over soon."

"How will it happen?"

"One day you will be brought back to the "god" of the zodiacs home, and will meet with her, but you won't remember why you wanted to go there. Just remember this, and tell the creator it, can you promise me that firefly? It is the only way I can get my revenge on her for doing this to me, please, firefly…"

How could I say "no"? She was my only friend now, and I was her first ever friend, the first person to show her warmth and love. We relied on each other to keep each other sane. How could I deny her a mere request to pass on a message, if I was going to be forced away from her life by that cruel family to which we belonged?

"Onee-san, of course I will. I'll remember, I promise I will!"

"I know this won't make sense to you, and it probably never will, but the creator will understand, I know she will. Tell her this;"

And into my ear she whispered the greatest secret of the zodiac.

"So, tell me…" As my memories awoke in myself I realised who this person was – the creator… and I had to pass on that message. That's what my vision of the dog was – for surely it was a vision, and I was just paranoid hiding her.

I was to tell the "god" of the zodiac – their creator, the message I had been asked to keep safe for six years.

But it would anger him… her.

She would get angry, and shout.

And hunt her down again…

… But he was frightened…

… She was expecting me to bring her this message…

… Because she knew I had been with the girl in the mountains…

… The girl she feared because of the true nature of the curse…

… Because she had no control of the curse…

"Yes 'creator'."

I couldn't stop myself from saying that. I didn't know why, it just felt the right thing to say, even though Akito wasn't my creator.

"W… what did you call me? TELL ME!"

So… I had hit a nerve…

"Why are you so annoyed that I call you your 'true' name?" I had to play along now, I couldn't stop myself, and I needed to get this through to her, even though I myself didn't want to…

… This was the beginning of Onee-san's revenge…

"No one knows what I am. Not even the zodiac member's call me that!"

"And why is that, I wonder?"

And so, in my last vestiges of strength I revealed to Akito that age-old secret that meant that it was coming to an end, and knowing that I would never remember what I had said, or what had happened here again.

But… for once I didn't care about losing my memories. All that effort that I had put into remembering just flowed out of me, away from my soul and left me exhausted, and ready to forget, and live a normal life without all this strangeness, even though I accepted it all, and wanted to… I don't know any more…

… I just wanted to sleep…

…That everlasting, healing sleep…

… But how could I sleep with that shrieking, and the thudding that entered the room…?

… And the people who kept hitting my chest, and trying to wake me…?

… Still, sleep won, and I was glad of it…

… Everything would be fine now…

… Of that I was certain…

AN: Omigosh, "The Melting snow" is almost over!!! I'm sorry if there are lots of unanswered questions, and you find it frustrating, but never fear, there is a sequel – and all the questions will be answered – I swear!

AN#2: Oh – there will be an epilogue added to this chapter, just to wrap up this part of the saga for all my readers.

AN#3: I shall be releasing the next part in the Saga soon. I was originally going to call it "Outcast" but I'm not so sure now, I may change it – but if I do, then you all will be the first to know!!!

AN#4: So what is the big secret about the zodiac? Only I know. However, I wish to know what your thought are on it, and to see how many people can guess it before it is revealed in the sequel. So please, write your answers in the reviews and I shall look forward to reading them. Please also say if you like my series, as I am grateful to all who have so far, especially "Crystalfeathers" who is adding a lot of reviews to my story. So to the unknown Crystalfeathers, thank you. (Also thanks to all my other reviewers/subscribers.)

AN#5: I would also like to apologise for any OOC-ness that may have occurred during the fan-fic, as I'm sure happened, as I was more focussed on the cliff-hangers and content on this rather than character-ness.

AN#6: Got to go now, my dad's telling me to revise, grrrrrrrrrrr.

Kaytii/