It's that time again! Alright, we're going to skip all the groveling (although I'll be thinking it all the same...) and get right to the replies and the story!

EmiShae: Eep! Thanks! Well, yeah, technically, in this story, Tohru doesn't exist *sweatdrop* I kinda feel bad about that, since she's such an interesting character, but keeping up with three OCs is hard enough without Tohru in the mix xD But, yesh! Kyo had thoughts about Kiku! Squee! ^.^ Hahaha! You're so silly, my friend xD Thanks so much! XOXO :D

stabbythings: WOO for saltwater! XD Hahahaha! I suggest you get some food, then! xD Thanks for the review! :D

D.W: WOW O.O That's a lot of sayings! Heh, your comment at the end made me laugh xD They are wonderful indeed! I shall have to keep this list somewhere to see if I can use any in the future... Thanks so much! :D

Okay, let's get to the story! Enjoy!

-XXV. Snow and Spring-

Hatori remembered the day that he had met Kana very well. Regardless of what he told others, he hadn't forgotten.

[Going into a flashback thing again.]

Hatori was making notes at his desk when he heard a knock on the doorframe.

"Hello in there," a woman said.

He looked up.

The woman was very pretty. Short brown hair, and big green eyes. "I'm Kana Sohma. It's nice to meet you," she said, bowing. "I'll be your new assisstant, as of today. So whatever you need me to do, just say the word."

Hatori went about his work as if she weren't speaking.

She laughed a little, nervous. "This is a little strange, huh? I guess we're part of the same family, and I've never even seen you before. But when I told my friends I'd be working with you, they all warned me you'd be handsome."

"This will be your desk," Hatori said. "And these are today's charts," he said, laying some binders on her desk. "You'll want to start looking-"

"Ah! It's snowing!"

He looked at Kana, who was looking out the window.

"I knew it would snow today."

She clasped her hands behind her back. "Say, here's a question for you. When the snow melts, what does it become?"

Does she think I'm an idiot? Hatori wondered. "The answer is water, of course," he said.

"Bzz-bzz!" she said. "Nope!" She turned to him and smiled. "It becomes spring! I think spring is my favorite time of year."

[Now the narrative part.]

Oftentimes, in memory, there is a tendency to overly romanticize the people we care about. I know this, and in spite of this fact, the truth remains. She was my spring.

Yes, if, as Akito had said, I had become the frozen snow in the dark, secretive world of the Sohmas, then she was the fresh, vibrant spring, full of life and light.

It seems almost inevitable now, the way we were drawn to each other. It was the beginning of a beautiful dream. And then...

There was a puff of smoke, and Kana looked down at Hatori's Zodiac form.

...she found out.

"W-water! No! Seawater! I don't know! Which one is it? What do I do? Hatori!"

Kana scooped up Hatori and threw him into some bathwater. After he changed back and got dressed, she toweled his hair off.

"I will say this, at least," Hatori said, chuckling. "If you threw a real seahorse into the tub like that, it would probably die."

"I was afraid of that," Kana said. "I was so shaken up, I couldn't think! But I guess I finally know the reason. I'd been wondering why it was you never wanted to hold me.

"It's because you were afraid, is that it? You were afraid of what would happen if I found out. That's why you keep your distance from people, especially the ones you love. But you don't have to be afraid. Not of me."

Her eyes welled up with tears. "Hatori, I'm so glad to have met you." She rested her forehead against his towel-covered head. "And I'm even happier to have fallen in love with you. I want to stay with you." She wrapped her arms around his head.

I wept. For the first time in my life, I felt as though I had been allowed something, as though I had been saved from something. I could not stop the tears. They were the frozen snow, melted by the first warm breath of spring.

I lost myself in the dream. And I laughed, as never before, as though years of happiness had been compressed into each and every new moment we shared.

Hatori and Kana went to tell Akito of their desire to be married.

Akito sat at the front of the room. Hatori kneeled closest, and Kana knelt farther back.

"Kana and I wish to be married."

But all dreams must end.

Akito growled and threw a vase at Hatori, hitting him in the face. "No!" he shouted. "I won't allow it! I refuse to allow it!"

Blood splattered from Hatori's eye, and he pressed his hand against his face, doubling over.

Kana stared at the scene in wide-eyed terror.

"Hatori, what's wrong?" Akito asked, moving closer. "Hatori..." Akito stood and glared at Kana. "You did this! This is your fault!" he accused, pointing a bony finger at her. "If Hatori loses his sight, it's your fault!"

Kana's hands moved to her face as she began crying.

"It's your fault!"

Shigure burst into the room. "Akito! Hatori!"

"Do you think you can lift the Sohma curse? Do you? !"

Kana edged back in fear.

"Kana!" Shigure ordered. "Hurry! Take Hatori out of here!"

Hatori looked down at his blood-soaked hand.

Shigure grabbed Akito's arms and held him back.

"Let me go!" he ordered. He glared back at Kana, who didn't move. "You can't lift the curse! We don't need you! You're worthless to us!"

Hatori looked at Kana worriedly.

"It's your fault! It's your fault! It's all your fault!"

No matter what I said, no matter what I did, each time I tried to console her, she collapsed into tears, until eventually, her grief began to consume her.

Akito looked at the finch perched on his finger. "It's expecially at times like this that your techniques become useful," he said to Hatori. "Don't you agree? We both know her memory should be erased. Before now, I doubt you would have even hesitated."

The finch flew away and Akito bent down in front of Hatori. "At this very moment, it's her memories of you, her feelings for you, that cause her to suffer." He grabbed Hatori's tie and pulled him forward. "You're the only one who can save her. You can put an end to her suffering. It will be your final act of love, Hatori."

"It would have been better..."

"The truth is, she wants to you release her."

"...better if you and I had never met..."

"The truth is, she wants to forget."

"...would have been better if you and I had never met..."

In the past, even if I knew the pain or sadness it might cause, it was a burden I was forced to bear. I had no choice but to erase a person's memory once the order was given. How could I have known that, by my hand, the person dearest to me would also have her memories erased, the very memories we shared together? This was my reward.

Hatori moved his hand over Kana's tear-filled eyes. "Thank you, Kana," he said. "Everything will be alright now. You won't have to be troubled over me any longer. I hope that, one day, you will meet someone who can truly make you happy."

She reached her hand up, and Hatori took it in his. "It is my dearest wish that you do."

"Hatori," she said. "I-I'm so sorry...I wasn't able to protect you... Forgive me."

Hatori looked at her, grief plain on his face. He squeezed her hand tighter. But he had to do it.

A light shot out from his hand, and it was done. Kana fell backwards onto the floor, her memories gone.

He cried. He cried and sobbed great tears of grief and sorrow.

Kana lay on the floor, peace spread across her still, beautiful face.

I was the one who should have apologized. I was the one who couldn't protect her.

"Hatori, I'm so glad to have met you. And I'm even happier to have fallen in love with you."

I knew that day that I would live the rest of my life as the frozen snow, so that the dream we had together would never melt away.

"Sorry things didn't work out," Kana said, bowing. "But, what I was able to learn from you will be my pride as a doctor! Uh, I mean, once I finish school, of course!"

And with that, she left, walking out of Hatori's life forever.

1_1_1_1_1

"Hatori..." I said quietly, facing away from him.

He had passed out shortly after he'd transformed. I'd put him on his labcoat and clothes, and then covered him with my coat. I'd folded my scarf into a pillow.

I picked up Kana's picture and knelt outside on the porch, looking at it. A couple of my tears hit the glass of the frame.

"Please," I said. "If there's anything you can do to help him." I knew Kana couldn't hear me, but, for some reason, I felt that she was the only one who could've helped us.

"I know we're glad to have met the Sohmas. We don't regret it. I can't imagine anymore what our lives would be like without them. You must have felt that way once, too, Kana. So, if there's anything you can do to help Hatori now, please..."

I saw movement out of the corner of my eye, and turned to see Hatori, now back to human form. And naked.

I snapped my head back around. "Ah, I'm sorry! I didn't look! No, I, uh... I didn't know what else to do, so I moved you up here to the room, where you could lay down. And I know it's not the best thing, but all I had to cover you up with was my coat. And I know it's dirty and all. A-And I'm sorry, but like I said, it's all I had-"

"Did you see it?"

My back stiffened. "No! You see, I uh..."

"I mean my Zodiac form."

"Oh," I breathed. "Yes, I did," I said, smiling a little. "And I thought it was really cute. It was pretty amazing to see what animal you were, but more than that, I'm really just glad that you're okay."

I looked up when I saw him standing next to me, fully dressed again.

Oh, here," I said, handing him back Kana's picture. "I hope you don't mind. I sort of...took it without asking."

He took it back from me and looked at it. I thought I saw the makings of a smile on his face, but I couldn't be sure.

3_3_3_3_3

It's been quite some time since I dreamed of her, he thought. He looked out at the snow. Perhaps it's the snow that reminds me.

"Say, here's a question for you..."

3_3_3_3_3

"Tell me," he said. "When the snow melts, what does it become?"

"Huh?" I asked. "Mm, let's see..." I looked out at the snow. "It becomes spring, right?" I thought he looked a little surprised. "So, even when it's cold like this, I always remember that spring is on its way. It's sort of neat to think about. No matter how much snow there is, it's all going to melt. It always does. I think spring is one of my favorite times of year.

"Oh, you must be freezing. Here, take this," I said, handing him his lab coat. "Of course, autumn's nice too. And you couldn't have spring without it! Say, if you'd like, I could go in and try to find something hot to warm us up!"

I blinked a couple times. "Hmm? 'Something to warm us up'? Feels like...déjà-vu..."

"Ah, lo and behold, there they are!" a familiar voice said.

I looked up. "Shigure?"

"Well, I've been looking for you."

I saw Hatori slip Kana's picture into his coat pocket.

"I found a little lost bunny, and these two, but not you," he said, pulling Momiji over.

"Momiji. Saki, Miki," I said. "Oh, it wasn't déjà-vu. You all have drinks!"

"Sorry it took so long," Miki said.

Shigure took one of the cans from Momiji's arms and tossed it to Hatori. "Hari."

Hatori turned and caught it. "So what brings you here?" he asked.

"Here, Kiku!" Momiji said, handing me a can as Miki and Sachiko opened theirs.

"Thank you," I said.

"I suddenly felt that the girls were here in need of a rescue," Shigure said, answering Hatori. "Call it a writer's intuition, if you will."

"That's a lie," Hatori said. "You only came to see the New Year's preparations, didn't you?"

"Don't let them fool you," Momiji told us as Shigure and Hatori continued on. "These two have been friends since they were kids."

We looked at them.

"No kidding..." Sachiko said quietly.

"Oh, girls, have you asked Hari what Zodiac animal he is?"

Hatori gave Shigure a look. "One more word, Shigure, and the entire publishing industry will know every embarrassing thing you've done since you were four."

"Understood," he said, holding his hand up in surrender. "My lips are sealed."

We three laughed a little.

"It's not like it's that hard to figure out," Momiji said.

"Momiji!"

He clamped his mouth shut.

"I really don't see how it's anything you should be embarrassed about," I mused.

They all looked at me in shock, then at Hatori.

Shigure looked at Hatori expectantly, wanting an answer, but he just casually sipped his drink, ignoring Shigure.

I followed his lead. I sighed happily. "It's so warm!"

I gave him a conspiritorial smile, and he smiled a little back.

;;;;;

"Spill!" Sachiko ordered as we left Hatori's house.

"Spill what?" I asked, grinning.

"What, you hugged Hatori?" Miki nearly screeched.

"What will Kyo say?" Sachiko wondered.

"Oh, hush, you two," I said. "Like most times, it was an accident."

"I was going to say, Kiku," Miki said, "he's handsome and all, but he's the same age as Shigure. That's just a little weird, don't you think?"

I shrugged.

"I can see how today might have been stressful for you three," Shigure said, oblivious to our conversation. "But now that it's over, Hatori's not that bad of a guy, is he?"

"I think Kiku could answer that better than us..."

I elbowed Miki in the ribs and we laughed.

Shigure just smiled a little.

"No," I said. "In fact, he was really quite the gentleman."

Suddenly, a finch flew by, a feather dropping off near my head. I stopped and turned to look. I saw a figure, a boy, leaning out of a window. He blinked once, then stood and walked away.

I wonder, I thought. Could that have been-?

"Come on, Kiku," Shigure said.

By the expressions on their faces, the boy hadn't escaped Miki's or Sachiko's notice either.

"It's easy to get lost in here."

"Shigure," Sachiko said. "Tell us, what is the curse...exactly? Are we doing something that we shouldn't be?"

Shigure smiled reassuringly. "I wouldn't worry. Just keep being yourselves," he said. "That's really all you need to know."

It's been a strange day, I thought as we headed home. It seems like we learned a lot, but at the same time, it still feels like I, for one, don't know anything at all.

"I'm home!" Shigure called as we went through the door.

"Us too! We're here!" Sachiko chimed in. "Sorry, we're so late."

We went to the living room, where we heard the TV on. Upon sliding back the door, we found two sleeping boys.

Yuki was sitting down, bent forward, his arms on the table under his head like a pillow.

Kyo was on the floor, his bottom half under the kotatsu and a pillow under his head.

If I had been inclined to say anything, I would've said, "Awww! How cute!" But I didn't. Though I couldn't help thinking it, along with, "Geez, talk about cute overload."

"Ah. I guess sitting around the heater like that got to be a bit too comfortable," Shigure said quietly.

"I guess so," I said, smiling.

"It might be dangerous to try and wake them up," he said. "Why don't we let them sleep for a while?"

At any rate, I thought as I went upstairs, I do know one thing. I know I'm going to try to always remember the way I feel right now, about everyone, about living here. I never want those feelings to change. Every day that we live here in this house is dear to me. Every single day.

3_3_3_3_3

Hatori sat on his back porch, the picture of Kana next to him.

"It becomes spring, right?"

Maybe these girls are different, he thought. Maybe...just maybe...they can help us.