Reviewer Replies:
MissRule: HAPPY BIRTHDAY:throws confetti:
ZeldaDragon: oh. my. god. You're going to make me cry ;.;
This is the sweetest, most thoughtful review I have ever read, THANKYOUSOMUCH:hugs: I'm humbled that I could serve such an inspiration :3 Honestly, I didn't realize this was so good xD
As for the rest of you, her little one-shot for Uo and Kyo was pretty sweet. For the such-awesome-review, she gets a plug from me :3 (not that the writing had ANYTHING to do with it xD) so, here it is...
GO READ HER STUFF! I only read the one-shot (because that's all I've had time to do ;.;) but from what I can tell she's quite good ;D Anyone who can leave that thoughtful and well-worded of a review, I'm confident can write a decent story :3 hehe
:hugs againn:
faol-sidhe: oh, I had fun :rolls eyes:
Actually, it wasn't soo bad. I think I'm caught up now o.O
and yes, poor, porr Tohru :pats: she's not that poor though ;D tee-hee.
inuishima94: To be truthfully honest, I actually haven't done much thinking about a pairing for Hana. I've been told by close friends (who have insidentally had quite a bit of influence on the story) that they'd LOVE to see Hana and Haru get together (Hana has seen him naked twice now, afterall xDD) but eh :shrug: in the end, I think I'm just not going to plan ahead on that one and just let it happen if it happens. If I try and plan something like that too overtly, it might run into things I need Hana to do later xD ackkk we can't have that happen.
Plus, not knowing is kind of fun. In that way, I'm sort of a spectator like you all are - I never know WHAT my fingers are going to type! xD
And don't forget - you mentioned Akito, as well ;3
Ile: now, this was a very satisfying review, as well. It's quite nice to know that I'm giving you so many emotions - lord knows I've tried ;D hehe glad you like. :hugs:
cho: I make it my business to give all my reviewers replies :3 Someone would feel left out if I didn't, and that would be sad! D: lol it's my way of saying thanks for the reviews, cause they're all much appreciated, no matter how random or cryptic you are xD
Chapter Summary: Kyo and Uo clash again - possibly for the last time? And what's this that's kindling within Tohru? Is there something alien about our little riceballian friend?
Author Comments: It's early, I know - when it occurred to me that November first was the day after Halloween (I'm dense enough it takes a while for dates to sink in xD) I thought I'd make it your guys' little Hallow's Eve treat. especially since I got stuck early and could only find productivity in reading back over and finalizing the chap xD I think I finally have a buffer now...I built up about 30 pages, so hopefilyl it'll tide me over a while :3 in the meantime, my muse seems to be returning, and school is slowing down. Soooooooo relieved. :faints of relievedness: enjoy, while I sleep ;3
...-...-...-...-...-...-...-
"Leaving for school a little early, aren't you, Yuki?"
Shigure stood stoicly in the hallway to his study, greeting Yuki as the teen made his way calmly down the stairs. Yuki tossed a glare, and Shigure continued before the younger boy thought up anything to say.
"Why, I do believe this must be a miracle! My little Yuki dressed with his hair brushed a full hour before he usually leaves for school! What, pray tell, would cause such an upstart?"
The rat rolled his eyes at the mutt's dramatics, but saw no harm in answering truthfully. He held the bags in his hand up to Shigure as visual aide.
"Hatori and I didn't think to get Miss Honda's things last night-"
"Mighty forgetful of you," Shigure clicked his tongue and playfully chided, but Yuki went on as though there had been no interruption.
"So I'm taking them to her this morning." Shigure nodded, graciously letting the teen slip out the door.
"Be safe, Yuki."
-
The teen paused several paces down the lawn, a bit aways from the driveway. He saw a car pull up, and a flustery red Kagura leap out and make her way for the house. Yuki sighed and rolled his eyes; as cruel a thing as it was for him to do, he'd leave that job up to Shigure.
"Oh, Shigure, please, tell me he's here!" Kagura demanded desperately as the dog opened the door, blinking as the boar startled him with her sudden request. "Shigure, please! Kyo! Where is he? And Tohru! Is she alright?"
"Calm down, Kagura," Shigure laughed uneasily, motioning downward with his hands, hoping to get the boar settled a bit.
"Tohru is fine. As for Kyo, I can't say; we thought we'd left him sleeping on the roof last night, but he was no where to be found when I got up this morning." Kagura whimpered, and Shigure gave her an encouraging pat on the head.
"Now, I'm sure Kyo is fine, too. He came home rather disagreeable yesterday - I think something must've happened at school. Knowing him, he's likely dissappeared for another four months - or for a while, at least."
"Oh, but I have to talk to him! Akito said that-" Shigure startled her quite a bit by pulling her into a brisk and surprisingly affectionate hug. Shigure was a wonderfully fun person to be around, and a great companion to have, but he wasn't supposed to be so warm. That was...odd.
"I'm sure whatever you two have to talk about can wait-"
"Oh, but it can't! I have to-"
"Why?"
Shigure's calm but frank question silenced Kagura, and she pouted, noting that she didn't have a reason to talk to Kyo right away. All that Akito had said to her was that he was considering giving her love for Kyo his blessing - something she'd been pleading for for quite some time - but he wouldn't decide until he could talk to Kyo and Kagura together.
She wanted to set that up as soon as possible, but, as she thought about it, if Kyo was upset about something at school, then perhaps it would be best to wait, and show Akito his best possible face. Akito's offer could be their one chance to not only have their relationship blessed - a true honor, considering the rarity that a blessing from Akito truly is - but this could also be Kyo's chance to finally be a part of the family. Afterall, if Akito approved of their relationship, and Kagura was an integral member of the Zodiac, then wouldn't Akito finally see Kyo as a part of the family as well?
"Run along," Shigure nudged Kagura gently towards the car, smiling warmly to her. "I promice I'll call you as soon as Kyo gets back, and you can talk with him then. But if he's on one of his infamous journies, I think we'd do best to leave him alone."
Kagura nodded solumly and sniffled her way back towards the car. Shigure stepped out onto the porch to see her off, and with his range of sight outside no longer blocked by Kagura and the doorframe, he made two observations right off the bat:
Hatori was reading quietly in his car, looking up only when Kagura opened the door and plopped into the passenger seat next to him; and, more importantly, Shigure saw that a stoic Hatsuharu stood on the edge of the hill, watching the figure of Yuki dissappearing into the woods.
Shigure smiled quietly to himself and dissappeared into the house, dare he disturb Haru's vision if he kept on watching. He didn't know how long Kagura and Hatori waited in the car for Haru to be finished watching his favorite rat, nor did he care. He just hoped Yuki would realize that just because Tohru was no longer in his reach, didn't mean that all potential to love was lost. As wonderfully angsty as Haru's jealousy had been, it had been getting progressively worse the longer he and Isuzu had been appart, and frankly by this point, even the novelist was starting to find it apalling. Not to mention, Haru was in the family. Although the nature of their relationship might cause them some grief with Akito, at least being in the family would prove to be a little simpler. Someone in the family Akito couldn't simply cast aside like he had Tohru, and perhaps, Shigure thought, that might provide Yuki with at least a glimmer of comfort.
-/-/-
"Oh..M-Miss Honda..." Yuki stood petrified on Tohru's doorstep. Somehow he hadn't expected the riceball to be the one to answer the door, although now that she had, he should've known. Aside from her grandfather, she was the most courteous one in the house, afterall.
"He-hello, Yuki," the brunette's chest gave a small thad-ump as she invited the boy in, her eyes trailing down to the sacks in his hand. She should be petrified. That is to say, she was - and yet, it was more out of excitement than anxiety. Something leapt for joy inside of her to see Yuki, but...that didn't make any sense.
A memory popped up, seemingly out of no where, but it was something she could reference against, in any case. She recalled that Yuki had walked her to and from school about a year ago. She'd been so anxious and nervous and frightened then - sickly, almost - to be walking to school with the prince. He hadn't really spoken to her since then, but she could sense that somehow something had changed between them. She wondered if for some reason he'd been thinking about her all this time, as she'd been thinking about him.
But, no, what a silly thought to have. He was the prince, afterall. He wouldn't waste his thoughts on a silly little girl like her.
"I...have some things for your grandfather...is he here?" Yuki shied away from telling her the items in the bags were hers - how would he explain that one? Tohru smiled in blissful ignorange and gave a cheerful nod.
"Oh, alright. He's in his room; You can just wait here and I'll go get him for you, kay?"
"Alright," Yuki smiled warmly, watching Tohru a little jealously as she happily skipped up the stairs. How carefree she much be now, happily oblivious to the travesty she'd been in the middle of before. Not only did Yuki find himself reeling with yerning for her, and the pain of the restrictions Akito had adressed to him, but Yuki also felt quite a large glimmour of jealousy towards Tohru herself; she could simply forget and move on with her life, but Yuki was still trapped in that goddamn cage. He'd never escape.
"Why, hello, son," Yuki was broken from his lustful daze by the gentle voice of Tohru's grandfather as he appeared in front of him, smiling calmly to the boy.
"I've got to go get ready for school," Tohru announced cheerfully, and Yuki and her grandfather both gave her a sweet nod to dismiss her back up to her room.
"I hear you have some things for me?" he grinned a little mischieviously, knowing full well that Yuki hadn't needed to see him. Yuki caught the notion, and lazily handed the old man the sacks, nodding fruitlessly.
"Come back and visit any time, you understand. I'm not sure why Tohru doesn't remember half the things that happened last year...but I'm willing to look over that. Thank you again for taking such good care of her." Yuki flushed and looked to the side, a nervous hand rubbing a little viciously at the back of his neck.
"It...was nothing. It was an honor, having her in the house - she was a wonderful cook. But this is where she truly belongs, with her family." somehow the small-statured man was silenced at Yuki's calm sentiments, and his grin slipped into a slight frown.
"Come back and visit anytime," he repeated, a little emptily, "I like the idea of my little Tohru being with a handsome young boy like you," he shuffled quite efficiently up the stairs, leaving Yuki standing in silence to ponder over his comment.
How did he know? In the few times that Yuki had seen him, had he really been that obvious?
"Oh, Yuki, you're still here." Yuki was greeted by a pair of wide, happily surprized eyes, as a uniform-clad Tohru greeted him by the door.
"Oh, um, yes," Yuki chuckled a little nervously. He'd drifted into thought, and wasn't quite sure how long he'd been obliviously standing there. He hoped he hadn't been too long. "I guess I should be -"
"Oh, wait! Since you're here, why don't we walk to school together?"
Tohru was a little shocked by her own boldness, but the fact of the matter was she knew it's what she wanted to do. She could recall Yuki's boldness in asking her the same question; it had been something like a year ago, but she remembered it like it was yesterday. It was a little odd - somehow, that day way back then, when Yuki had walked with her to school, was the clearest day she could remember. The rest of the year, for whatever reason, was just a blur of times with Uo and Hana, and the regular workings of school. Why did she suddenly get the feeling that she was forgetting something?
Yuki had been flushed and silent for a moment, leading Tohru to wonder if maybe she had been too bold to ask, but the prince kindly interrupted that thought before she had time to finish it, and put on a sweet smile.
"I would love to walk you to school, Tohru." Afterall, Akito hadn't said anything about a harmless canter.
-/-/-
The walk to school was long and quiet, but surprisingly comfortable. There was little the two could find to talk about; Tohru couldn't remember much about Yuki, afterall, and Yuki dare not converse too much, lest he mention something Tohru ought not to know. So the two contented themselves with pleasant smiles and the warmth of the other's stride.
They both recieved and gave confounded looks as they approached school, matching gazes with Yuki's cousin and Tohru's friend.
"Who's that?" Yuki's heart sank for Kyo at Tohru's innocent question. There was a certain sort of despiration in Tohru's voice as well, which somewhat puzzled the prince. But Tohru was -- frustrated. She knew she knew him, and somehow she knew that Yuki knew him, but she couldn't come up with who he was. This obnoxiously everpresent deja vu notion was starting to get rather annoying, and she rather desprately wanted it to go away.
"That's my cousin, Kyo."
"Oh, right!" Tohru brightened with recognition, which puzzled Yuki greatly, and even disturbed him a bit. He'd seen Hatori supress memories before, and he didn't think memories had ever broken free. But there Tohru did it, right off the bat, and was about to do it again.
"The...cat...?" Tohru blinked at her own words, and indeed was hesitant to to say them, as strange as she knew it sounded, but it was an odd thought that she just coudn't keep to herself.
Yuki was shocked enough that he stopped walking and simply gawked, causing Tohru to stop next to him, blushing and looking down, a bit asamed of her speculation. She supposed maybe she could come up with something better.
"Well, I mean...you must have a cat named Kyo, right?" she paused again, while Yuki just continued a blank stare, in disbelief of his riceball's apparent risiliance. "Or maybe..." Tohru faded off, searching again for another tangent to make her comment legitimate.
"I guess I must've met someone whose cat's name was Kyo... maybe..." she giggled and gave Yuki a smile, which finally broke the rat out of his daze. "The name Kyo just reminds me of a cat somehow. Silly, I know."
"Sure," Yuki chuckled lightly, his suprise losing its furver and his calm enjoyment sinking back in. "But for some reason, he's always reminded me of a cat, too."
"Oh, well then that's good," Tohru giggled, as the couple started again to walk, their brief moment of awkwardness past. "So I'm not the only silly one,"
"Yeah," Yuki laughed, "You're not the only silly one." without realising it, a hand playfully ruffled her hair. Akito had said he wasn't to touch her again, but he simply couldn't help himself. Just now, Akito was the last thing on his mind.
-
"I thought you said Tohru'd forgotten bout Yuki?"
Arisa was dumbfounded, as was Kyo. The cat gave a shrug, lost as to why they were watching Tohru and Yuki playing just like they were still a couple - moreso than before, even. It was an arbitrary detail, but Kyo didn't think he remembered ever seeing Yuki rustle up her hair. It was a motion that was a little more...playful, really, than Kyo thought his cousin could be.
"I guess he's not quite detatched yet,"
Yes, that would explain Yuki's behavior, but why Tohru was reciprocating was a mystery. He supposed, did the feelings carry over? Kana had kept just a shade of hers, but it had seemed to fade away quickly. And Momiji's mom certainly lost her motherly instincts towards him. Tohru was an impressive girl, but how could she be such a remarkable exception? Hatori was good at what he did; if Tohru had retained some of her memories, she was even more impressive than he'd thought - even more impressive than any human being should be.
"Hey, Tohru." Uo raised a hand in greeting, wiping the mild astonishment from her face to put on a smile for her approaching friend.
"Hi Uo." Tohru greeted with a smile, and turned a bow to Kyo. "And I hear you're Kyo. Yuki said you were his cousin?"
"Y-yeah, that's right?" damn, figures. She remembered Yuki - or at least dimly recollected him - but it seemed all Kyo was to her memory was a face she was curious about. He'd been alright with Tohru and Yuki before then, but now, he felt the cold stab of jealousy, his vision green with the dissappointment in Tohru's selective recollection. Was Yuki really that much more important to her?
"How long have you known Yuki?" it occured to Kyo that he'd been reading too much into this, so he quickly tried coming up with a roundabout way to get a strait answer. Although with Tohru, he doubted it would work.
"Well, I mean," Tohru found her self blushing a bit. This was the prince of her highschool, afterall. "I've known him for a couple years now...well, just known who he was, really. You know, Yuki's really popular in school. Has he told you? He's the prince of Kawaia high, although with all the fangirls he gets, I'm not sure it's nessesarily a good thing-"
"I get it," Kyo cut her off. It had been a long time since Tohru's rambling had bothered him, but now he grew frustrated with her rather easily. No doubt he was still pissed about the memories; the only other time he thought Tohru'd been taken away from him, he'd grown rather pissy then, as well. This was a little different, but he knew what to pin his disagreeable mood on.
"I think he means how long we've known eachother like this." Yuki laughed uneasily, rubbing the back of his neck, before turning to his cousin. He thought he might understand why Kyo was a bit snappy this morning, the events of last night aside. "Only today, really, though there was a time we met about a year ago."
"Oh that's right!" Tohru cheerfully recollected. "Yuki walked me to school once before, too. Oh..."
Suddenly something came to her. She remembered, in her conversation with Yuki that day about a year ago, he'd mentioned something about cats. Odd, that their only two conversations a year appart, seemed to center around - or at least include - a cat. Why did she seem to think there was something particularly nostalgic about cats?
But, a memoir of a bit more importance, was that Yuki hadn't liked cats. She glanced a little uneasily between the cousins, making the connection rather well. Kyo reminded him of something he didn't like, so he must not like Kyo. That was sad. Even in this small amount of time of knowing the carrot-top, she'd decided she liked him. She got the impression Arisa was quite fond of him, as well. Still, something hinted to her that she ought to give Yuki an excuse to leave his cousin be. Somehow - a notion beyond her own comprehension - she felt that Arisa might like to socialize more with Kyo by herself, anyway.
"Say, Yuki," she boldly grabbed his arm, summoning a blush to the prince's cheeks. "Would you like to come with me to find my friend Hana? I mean, if you don't have anything else you need to do; I wouldn't want to-"
"No, I'd like to meet your friend." Yuki smiled sweetly to her, rousing a blush from her cheeks, as well.
-
"...Well, rangetop, would ya look at that?" Arisa smiled crookedly at the cuple that walked hand-in-hand into the school, off to search out the third friend of the three-fold party. "Memories wiped and the next day they're still a couple, even if Tohru doesn't even know it."
"That doesn't make any sense." Kyo blinked after them in utter disbelief, and Arisa tossed him a crooked glance.
"What do you mean?"
"Supressing memories is permanant, and complete. Hatori's done it plenty of times, but that's irrelevant anyway; aside from Akito, the dragon's basically the most powerful one - I mean, it would make sense, right?"
"Hatori's the dragon?" this was the first Arisa had heard of it. She couldn't help busting a crooked grin just thinking about it, "That's kinda cool. I'd wanna be the dragon. That would be friggin awesome."
Kyo rolled his eyes lightly at Arisa's grin, but shrugged it off and continued with his explanation. "Tohru's remembering feelings, whether she realizes it or not. She remembers something, Uotani. That's huge, and a rare."
"Why? Doesn't it-"
"It. Just. Is. Akito's not going to be happy." At that Arisa pouted, and tugged Kyo's sleeve gently, nudging him towards the school.
"Come on, Kyon-Chan. For once, can't we not talk about Akito? God damn, I either want to talk to the man or forget about him. Can't one of those be possible? Anytime soon?" Kyo pulled his sleeve from her grip, though not violently, and kicked shyly at the ground.
"I just don't know Uotani. I mean, what we're doing...You'll have to go to see Akito soon, I know it, but...I want to...to put it off, because when it happens, that might be the end of it."
"Bah," Arisa scoffed, "A punch or two isn't gonna-"
"It's not that, Yankee! I'm scared you won't accept- ...I...I'm scared you'll FORGET!"
Arisa was quieted by Kyo's sudden iron grip on her wrist, and the mild fire in his eyes as he glared at her. Like Hana so often did, the glare wasn't at her, but rather just happened to be in her direction. Still, for the first time in her life, Kyo had scared her. His grip on her wrist...it hurt, and his eyes were burning for hatred and fear of something that he wasn't telling her. That fine print - he was afraid she wouldn't accept - she'd already accepted that he was a cat; there was still something else?
"What the hell are you so god damned afraid of, orangetop?"
Arisa ripped her wrist away from him, regaining herself from the momentary fear Kyo'd implanted in her, and glared back with the same intimidating glance Kyo was giving her. They were developing an audience, but neither of them noticed, or cared.
"Akito, damnit," Kyo asserted, but not very strongly. He knew he'd slipped - and he knew Arisa had caught it - but he still couldn't bring himself to tell her.
"God damnit, Kyo," Arisa spat to the side, her frustration with him shining through brilliantly, "I can't take any more secrets. If you're hiding something ELSE from me, then this relationship is over. We won't need to rely on Akito to do that for us."
Kyo was silent for a moment, and for the first time glanced to the small number of people who had spied their rather loud feud, and his glance was enough to make them back off, with some murmurs and whispers amongst themselves.
With a sigh, Kyo glanced down to his bracelet, stuffed his fists into his pockets out of sight, and looked up to face a glowering Arisa again.
"I'm trying to hide you from Akito, Uotani. That's it. There is nothing else." He just plain wasn't ready to tell Arisa what he was really hiding her from. He didn't like lieing to her, but she wasn't giving him much choice.
Something melted in Arisa's eyes. She stared at him for a moment longer, her teeth nibbling timidly at her lower lip. As was to be expected, she saw through his pathetic excuse of a facade.
"Then we're done, Orangetop," Kyo's heart sank at her whispy, half-whispered words, tearing a hole in both their hearts. "I won't be hidden away."
Arisa knew; he was still hiding something else - it seemed he was always hiding something else - but even the fact that he was hiding her from Akito was something she was growing tired of.
"Just...let me see Akito; let this relationship be out in the open with your family. I can't take being the secret anymore."
"I ...can't." Kyo couldn't look at her anymore. His face was cast to the side, his shoulder leaned against the wall of the school, his bangs casting a wary shadow over his glazed eyes. He thought only yesterday he was truly starting to love Arisa, but now they were...they were breaking up? It couldn't be happening...it just couldn't.
"Let me know when you can." Arisa said quietly, turning lethargically away, "Until then, we've got nothing more to talk about."
The Yankee meandered slowly into the school, leaving the cat weighing himself on the bricks of the wall, to run away from the building not half a minute later, tears sliding down his cheeks as he ran back for Shigure's. Only once had the canine been able to comfort him before, but at this moment Kyo knew no one else to go to. God damn the day Shigure was Kyo's only potential for comfort. He hated that mutt, but there was no one else to go to.
If Hatori hadn't slipped and told Akito - god damnit, if it wasn't for that goddamned seahorse, he'd still have his riceball to go to. Kyo had thought he hated that rat with a passion, but he was starting to see that the dragon had something to pay.
...-...-...-...-...-...-
oh NOES! Emily has nothing more to say:bites nails: wow, I'm exeedingly hyper. This is what I get for eating those cupcakes last night. Good GOD those were made of SUGARRR:explodes: