A/N: And finally, Chiaki. Only took almost half the fic didn't it? And half a year since the last update. *shakes head*

The Curse of the Cat

096. Nostalgia

Kouichi remembered that time very well, when he had fled from warmth and sought out the coldest place he could find. In the form of the beast, the overly sensitive nose was almost drowned in the stench of death: the small yet deep river that ran through the cemetary. Thinking of the life he was doomed to, in the Room. Thinking if he could just freeze, to never feel the pain that was his greatest fear…

That was before his grandmother was buried there, but it still felt the same whenever he went. That same coldness. That same death. That same loneliness.

For him, that was the perfect definition of the curse of the Cat. Or it had been, except there were people in the world who wouldn't allow it. His mother…and he thought his father too. Splitting them up to protect them both…because how could the Cat ever hope to live peacefully, and happily, with the Rat?

But more recently there was that same brother – who didn't remember, didn't know the full extent of what the curse had done to their family. And friends: people who didn't care no matter how much they revealed, who shouted at the unfairness of it all and otherwise acted as though it didn't matter at all.

And maybe, for the next few months at least, it really didn't.

097. Protection

A multitude of feelings lashed at Katsuharu, prickling his eyes, his muscles, and making it altogether rather difficult to focus on the road. Not that he was really focusing; he had no destination in mind, nor did the landmarks he see suggest any. He'd left the central part of the city behind; the houses were more spread out, with long winding paths from the main road and no gate to block them.

In fact, most of them were reminiscent of the old shrines, long flat houses with more space than was needed, while the newer living quarters were cramped. Another example at how unfairly the world was split, some people getting all the attention and others none…

His attention was suddenly diverted by something red flashing across the road, and then a bundle of yellow and a screaming voice –

His foot hovered above the accelerator, then slammed onto the brakes. Both arms twisted, almost as if they had a mind of his own.

The next moment, they were in front of his face, as though they could stop the impact that had already happened.

098. Companionship

'That idiot got into a car crash!' the female voice yelled in his ear the moment Teppei picked up the phone.

'Excuse me?' Teppei asked, momentarily bemused. He thought the voice was of Katsuharu's elder sister, but he couldn't be sure.

'Katsuharu!' Yep, it was Katsuharu's elder sister alright. 'He swerved the car into a pole.'

'A pole?' the other repeated dumbly.

'Yes, a pole.' The girl was too worked up to be exasperated. 'He's lucky he didn't crack his skull open! He's – he's – ' She stopped, finding she had lost the coherency to continue her tirade.

'He's – ' It suddenly hit him. 'He was in an accident?'

'What have I just been saying?!'

Teppei decided he was better off not answering that question.

'Is he – is he alright?'

She calmed down a little at that. 'I don't know actually,' she admitted. 'We just got a call from the hospital. Concussion, a few strained muscles, and he managed to bang up his arms. It sounds like he's alright.' She sounded rather doubtful.

Teppei wasn't the most studious, so he didn't know whether a concussion was an alarm signal or not, but he didn't really care. 'Which hospital? I'm coming over.'

There was a quiet "I was hoping you would" before the address.

'I think he needs a friend,' the girl said afterwards, before hanging up.

'He needs a family,' Teppei countered.

'Well, if you get there before him, get it in his thick head that we're less than a call away.'

099. Tender

Teruo sat on his porch and sighed. Things were quiet in the Sohma house, and with the members of Zodiac (or the majority of them) living there, it was unusual for it to be so. If the Rat were here, the two of them would be fighting as if the world would come to an end if they stopped.

And it might, because the anger the Cow had towards the Rat was eclipsed only by the anger of the Cat…and in all fairness too, for it was the Rat who had brought the wrath of God upon the Cat whose only sins had been naivety and trustfulness. An unfair price it was to pay, and Teruo couldn't help but sympathise with Kouichi, who with the spirit of the Cat seemed to grow from those same faults, always making him appear younger than his age and vulnerable, walking into pain when anyone else in his shoes could just as easily stay away. Especially as he was more tender to said pain, both physical and emotion, always bleeding easily in body and soul as well.

And it wasn't as though Fuyuno was in any condition to go around chasing stray Zodiac animals.

'What'ya thinking about?'

Speaking of stray Zodiac animals.

'Hello Chiaki,' Teruo said with some surprise. 'Have a seat.'

'I think I will,' Chiaki agreed, tossing her long braid of brown hair before accepting the proffered chair. 'Well, what are you thinking about?'

'Kouichi.'

'Hmmph,' the brunette snorted.

'You don't like him.'

'Of course not,' Chiaki responded in a matter-of-fact tone. 'He's the Cat.'

'And Fuyuno?'

'He's…a different story.' Her voice dropped and she looked away a little. 'How is he?' she asked finally. 'I heard he was sick.'

'He's always sick,' Teruo pointed out. 'It's nothing that you had to come all the way out here for.'

Chiaki turned back and aimed a kick at the other's shins, which connected. Painfully.

'Ouch.'

'I can visit whenever I want,' she snapped. 'I've got just as much of a right to be here as you lot.'

He didn't mention that she lost her right when she left to live outside the compound. Because he knew she could have gone much further. She knew too, but even without her paddock, the horse was still as trapped as the other Zodiac members.

100. Shatter

He was trapped…somewhere. As it wasn't a situation Katsuharu commonly found himself in, he was having a little trouble coming to grips with the entire situation. Something was banging. At windows he thought, but he couldn't be sure.

Something sharp. Sticks if he could recognise the sound correctly. Someone tapping sticks on the window. Then someone kicking a ball. Window shattering. Glass pricking him.

Sticks hitting him. He automatically covered his hands, yelling a multitude of things, all of various colours. But no-one was listening. No-one cared. Small small shadows grinning with gleaming white teeth and black bodies, raising their sticks at the chance.

He begged for help, but no-one came when he beat others down, and no-one would come for him now.

There was a splash as he became soaked in high water, and a croak as he opened his eyes to a bright light.