Chapter Fourteen: The torn and broken pieces

Now wasn't THAT a wild and crazy chapter? I had a lot of fun writing it, I hope you guys liked it. I told you I was approaching a huge climax. Thanks for reading; I hope you enjoy this chapter.

Pyra

Hakkai grew more and more restless with every passing moment. Hatori had made some tea for them and Ananzi was quietly chuckling to himself. "I wonder which one will come back alive?" he wondered aloud. "I do hope it is Kira. She's such a good servant."

"Why did you tell me where to find her if you were just going to have her kill Haru anyway?" Hakkai asked.

"Because it's fun! It would have been boring if she'd killed him on the spot, I like a good chase scene. Besides I wanted to see how he would react when he learned his best friend was cursed." Ananzi laughed.

"Shut up! You think we're just here for your entertainment? They're human beings! She's a human being! You can't treat people this way!" Hakkai yelled throwing his teacup at Ananzi. He moved his head to avoid it.

"I can do what ever I want!" Ananzi hissed. "She's mine."

"No she's not! She has a soul, and feelings! You can't treat her like this for your own amusement!"

"Even if she is yours," Hatori stepped into the conversation, "you've no right to bring Hatsuharu into this."

"He brought himself into it." Ananzi corrected.

"True. But not without some helpful pushes from you." Hatori noted. Ananzi laughed even louder.

"Right! You're good Hatori Sohma! I did lead him to the point of meeting her, but the rest was fate itself. I just sat back and enjoyed the ride."

"You planned it though. So that it would lead to this."

"Regardless of my intentions, I also lead Hakkai here to make sure Haru had a fair chance once he knew what he was up against."

"You didn't lead me here!" Hakkai corrected. "If the man in the white coat hadn't said anything then I wouldn't have even known!" Ananzi eyes grew wide.

"What man?" he growled.

"He told me that I needed to hurry to Kira. Then you showed up." Ananzi leaned back and sighed.

"I see. This is getting entertaining."

"You're sick! You're ulterior motive was to get her to kill him all along! I knew there was some strange reason you had her move here!" Hakkai screamed.

"True, I did have an ulterior motive, and this is part of it, but I am far from my results."

"I'll skin you alive!" Hakkai was about to charge the Spider god, but a noise in the garden stopped him. All of them turned to see Hatsuharu carrying a half naked Kira towards them. He held her like a baby; she was sleeping in his arms. "Kira!" Hakkai gasped assuming the worst. He ran to Haru.

"Shh." Haru hushed. "She's sleeping. Let's let her rest." He set her down in Hatori's bed and he pulled the covers over her. She curled into a comfortable position and was silent once more. "Hatori, you need to go tell Akito what's happened. Hakkai stay here and watch Kira. It must have been two years since she slept, make sure she gets enough rest."

"Where are you going?" Hakkai wondered as Hatori walked out of the room to inform Akito.

"I'm going to get her gloves. They were torn and I know someone who can patch them up." He began to walk towards the garden where it all began. Ananzi laughed again but quietly.

"Well, there's an ending I wasn't expecting. Bravo Hatsuharu Sohma."

"Get out of my house! I get sick looking at you!" Haru ordered. Ananzi left, and Haru headed over to Ayame's house. It didn't occur to him that Ayame might be asleep until after he knocked on the door. However Aaya answered it with a bright and awake smile.

"What brings you here so early in the morning Haru?"

"I need you to patch these up for me." He said handing him the gloves.

"Of course! I'm in a generous mood so I will do so for free! But I must ask why are you so scratched up and wet?" Haru was shocked. He hadn't realized that he was coved in blood and mud from the lake.

"I've just…been through a lot tonight."

"Yes I understand. Please come in I will patch up these gloves for you." Ayame invited. "What color do you want?"

"Green. It really brings her eyes out when she wears green." Haru answered trailing off.

Akito was in a bad mood when Hatori arrived. He told him what had happened: the panther curse, Hakkai, Kira and Haru, and Ananzi. At the end Akito smiled.

"I knew it." He whispered. "Hatori! Get my clothes I need to talk to Miss Shaeed." He ordered and without delay Hatori obeyed. "He's back." Akito whispered again.

Hakkai tightly held Kira's hand. He was so glad she was alive. Akito entered the room in his black shirt and jeans.

"You must be Hakkai, Kira's brother. It's a pleasure." Akito said in his bittersweet voice.

"Who are you?" Hakkai asked.

"I'm Akito Sohma, Head of the Sohma family. Is she asleep?"

"Yes," Hakkai looked at his sister's sleeping face again. "I imagine she's very tired." Akito walked over and lifted the covers off of Kira.

"I see her clothes were torn." He examined her a bit. "I'll get her a change of clothes immediately." Akito offered.

"Thank you." Hakkai thanked.

"There's no need for you to stay here though. I'm sure you're quite tired from this whole ordeal as well. We will handle things here." Akito suggested.

"Thanks, but it doesn't feel right leaving her."

"Well your welcome to sleep in a guest room. You don't have to leave the building."

Hakkai nodded. "Yes, that sounds like a good idea. Which room is closest to hers?"

"The one right across the hall. We'll wake you up when she does. I'll send someone to call your father as well."

"Thank you." Hakkai yawned as he dragged himself to the room across the hall and tucked himself in. Akito shut the door behind him and set some clothes next to the bed. She was so intriguing. He fingered the scratch on her cheek that he'd given her. It had almost fully healed. "What are you doing in here?" Haru asked. Akito turned.

"Just keeping watch." Akito answered.

"You don't need to touch her to keep watch." He pointed out. Akito withdrew his hand from her face slowly.

"Why do you care so much?"

"I just think she might mind."

"I need to talk to you outside." Akito said leading him into the hallway. Haru put the gloves in his pocket and followed Akito into the hall. Kira began to stir. She held her head and sat up slowly. "What happened?" she moaned. She heard Akito's voice from the hall. "She tried to kill you. Disgusting little creature, always a burden on the rest of the world. All you ever did was be kind to her and she pays you back by trying to kill you. Is that really the kind of person you want to be around?"

Kira gasped. She saw the clothes next to her and quickly changed. She had to run away, she needed to run as far and as fast as she could.

They were right all along! I was so stupid to think that I was anything but trouble to someone else! The only person who cared about me I've gone and hurt! He'll never forgive me!

She ran to the one place where she could think. The doors were unlocked and it was empty, she stood on the roof of the school. This was where her and Hatsuharu had first become friends. They spent some of their time here together. She stood on the edge and breathed deeply. What was she going to do now? It was shattered, her life, her friend ship, her happiness, it was broken and shattered into millions of tiny pieces.

"I'm smashed. I'm torn." She began to cry.

"So let's put you back together." She quickly turned to see Haru standing in the door she'd come in. Kira was shocked that she hadn't smelled him.

"What are you doing here?" She asked.

"I saw that you left and everyone's looking for you. I thought you might be here."

"Please don't come any closer!" she yelled. Hatsuharu stopped in his tracks. "I'm sorry! God I'm so sorry!"

"Kira it's okay!"

"No it's not! I tried to kill you!"

"Please step down and we can talk about this." He requested. She obeyed and sat up against the door she'd come in through.

"I wasn't going to kill myself. Even that would be a nuisance."

"I know, it's just easier to talk to someone when they aren't on the edge of a high place."

"I know there's nothing I can do, to get you to forgive me. I should have told you."

"Why are you blaming yourself? I kissed you remember?"

"But I should have pulled away! Or done something to stop you! In the end I almost ate you, and you ended up saving my life."

"What's that tell you?" Haru asked.

"That I'm a burden." He bonked her on the head.

"No! Do you think I'd have tried to bring you back to life if you were a burden?"

She looked at him for a long time. "No, probably not."

"Right. When you drowned Kira, I felt like I was missing something. Like a part of me had been ripped off. I realized something." He turned to look her in the eyes.

"What?"

"I need you. You're important to me! Although I was fine before I met you, after we started hanging out the thought of never seeing you again, tore me up inside." She looked at the ground.

"I don't think you want to be friends with a monster like me."

"I forgive you. For everything that happened in the woods, and for not telling me your secret. But I also understand why those things happened. And there's something I need to tell you." He pulled her into a tight embrace. She heard a loud POOF! When the smoke cleared she saw a cow where Haru had sat. "See I'm cursed too." The cow explained.

"I knew it!" she yelled.

"How could you have?" he asked shocked.

"Ananzi always spoke of the other cursed animal spirits. He told me about the zodiac animals, when I saw your hair I thought maybe but I never really knew for sure." She explained. In another POOF Haru returned to normal, only naked. Kira quickly turned her blushing head, as Hatsuharu got dressed.

"I feel like I've caused so much damage. Besides even though you forgive me, I still have to leave, like Ananzi ordered. My life is torn and broken into pieces." Haru walked up behind her and put his hands on her shoulder. He handed her the gloves, beautifully repaired in green and black.

"Your gloves were torn when you turned. I had them fixed. We can do that with your life to, sew it back together and make it beautiful again."

"Haru, thank you!" she exclaimed taking the gloves and putting them on her arms once more.

"If you want, I'd like to help you with the broken pieces." She turned around and looked him in the eyes. She was speechless, so she nodded eagerly. He smiled at her and grabbed her nose. They agreed that the kiss was for comforting reasons only, and to not tell Rin about it. "One more thing Haru." Kira said.

"Yes?"

"Got milk?" Kira desperately tried to hide her laughter. Hatsuharu glared at her.

"Shut up."

"Just one more." She begged.

"Fine." He sighed.

"Are you from Texas?"

"No." he replied confused.

"Really? Cause you're a real cowboy." She laughed.

"I hate you so much right now." He groaned. They walked back to the main house.

Another sappy chapter said and done. WHOOT! Thanks for reading. Thank you for reviewing. Pyra.