dna- So... what valuable lesson have I learned from writing this chapter? ALWAYS BACK UP YOUR WRITING! I actually had this chapter done months ago (back sometime in the middle of January). So why did it take so long to update? Well... I had saved this chapter on my usb so that I could take it to work and work on it when I had nothing else to do. When I'd finally finished the chapter at work, I took it home to upload it. Well... in the span of about 15 minutes (the time it took for me to get home), the mem stick decided to "corrupt" all the data in itself. Seriously. WTF MAN! I came so close to giving up on rewriting this...

So anyway, because of what happened, I just wanted to say that I'm sorry that it took so long to update and that I'm sorry if things feel a bit rushed or off here and there in this chapter. I was feeling quite impatient and frustrated to say the least -_-... Also, a warning to all, this is a pretty dark/angsty/emo chapter lol.

Just one last thing I wanted to say. I had quite a few reviews from people from fanbbs (or at least... I think I did). One person in particular told me that there was an argument going on about my OC there so I actually went and checked it out... and I just have to say, really, thanks for all the support that was given for my story. However, I do realize that my characterization of Sayora wasn't (and still is not) perfect. This story that I've written is far from perfect as well. I know there's a lot I still have to improve on, so please don't attack anyone for voicing their personal opinions. My story really isn't at the level where it's worth arguing over anyway =P

But yeah, as always, thank you thank you thank you for you patience and continued support! Despite the fact that the content isn't as good as it originally was (imo), I hope you guys enjoy the chapter!

Hopeless Chapter 28 – The Curse of the Wolf

"Ah… Sayora-san—"

The elder servant was pushed aside as Sayora continued down the hall.

"Sayora! Wait! Please, calm down!" Kureno said as he followed her down to Akito's room.

"Kureno-san, what's going on?" the angry servant demanded to know, grabbing him by his arm.

"Run down and call Hatori-san!" he ordered. "Hurry!"

The servant, becoming frightened by the situation, nodded and quickly made her way out of the house.

Akito looked away from the window as the door to her room suddenly slid open…

-Kyo and Yuki-

The door to Shigure's house slammed open as the two boys rushed in.

"Sayora!" Kyo shouted, running past Yuki and toward the stairs. "Sayora!" he shouted again as he burst into her room to find no one there. Dammit! Where is she? he thought desperately as he stepped away from her room. Remembering that Sayora usually went to the roof when she was feeling troubled, Kyo decided to try his luck there.

Meanwhile, Yuki thoroughly searched the entire first floor, including the backyard. The house was empty. It wasn't long before he heard Kyo coming back down the stairs to join him in the living room. Kyo didn't need to ask whether Yuki had found her or not. The answer was painfully obvious.

"If she's not here, then where did she go?" Yuki wondered worriedly.

Kyo lost count of how many times he felt his heart clench in fear in the past few hours. Yuki's question only added to the tension and anxiety he felt at the moment. He wanted nothing more than to know where Sayora was right now, but it was also the one thing he dreaded finding out. What if she really disappeared this time? The idea of that happening made him shudder, but he couldn't let it distract him now.

"Where're you going?" Yuki asked when he saw Kyo suddenly move toward the door.

"Where else? To look for the dumb wolf," he answered, sounding more concerned than annoyed.

Yuki silently watched Kyo leave the house before following him out.

"Kyo, wait!" Yuki called as he caught up with his cousin.

"What do you want?" the orange-haired boy replied, clearly irritable as he rushed down the path that ran from Shigure's front door to the entrance of his property.

"Just where do you plan on looking for her?"

However, Kyo didn't reply and continued on his way.

"Kyo!" Yuki called, becoming frustrated. "Would you calm down?"

"Calm down?" Kyo repeated as he suddenly stopped and whipped around, almost making Yuki crash into him. "That idiot just ran off somewhere! Who knows where she is or what she's doing right now! Don't tell me to goddamn calm down!"

Yuki stared at his cousin, eyes wide with shock, speechless at the sudden angry outburst.

"That idiot… she…" The frustrated boy couldn't find words fit to describe the fear he felt.

Suddenly, the two of them heard a rustling sound coming from the woods around them. Their heads instantly perked up in the direction of the sound just in time to see something dash by them behind the trees.

"Sayora!" Kyo called as he and Yuki took off in the same direction.

-Hatsuharu and Momiji-

The only things that could be heard in the silent night were the pounding footsteps and staggered breaths of Momiji and Hatsuharu as they raced to Shigure's house.

"Hurry up, Momiji!" Haru yelled as he stopped to wait for his cousin who was quite a distance behind him.

When the blond boy finally caught up, he stopped and placed his hands on his knees, trying his best to catch his breath. "Sorry," he apologized for slowing them down.

"Kyo and Yuki are probably already there…" Haru said to himself. He then looked at his exhausted cousin. "Let's hurry, Momiji."

With a nod, the two were ready to be on their way again, but suddenly…

CRASHHH!

Haru and Momiji's heads snapped in the direction of the sound.

"What was that?" Momiji asked, sounding alarmed.

From the Main House…? Haru wondered as he stared at the wall beside him, his eyes narrowing in suspicion.

"You don't think that was…"

"C'mon," Haru said as he ran to the front gate.

-Meanwhile-

"Well, if it isn't Sayora," Akito greeted humorlessly in a teasing way, curious about the sudden visit. "Have you finally decided to come back to me?"

Akito's eyes shifted behind Sayora when she heard frantic footsteps coming down the hall.

"Sayora!"

The door was immediately slid shut and locked before Akito could see who it was. However, she already knew all too well who the panicked voice belonged to. Kureno. Akito narrowed her eyes at her intruder in suspicion. Suddenly, she didn't feel so amused anymore.

"Just what do you think you're doing?" the head of the family demanded to know.

Sayora said nothing. Akito, becoming frightened, backed away as the silver-haired girl advanced toward her with eyes glowing with fury.

"G-get away from me!" Akito ordered, grabbing the nearest object, being a pillow, and chucking it at Sayora who knocked it away with ease.

"Sayora!" Kureno shouted, trying to get the door open. "Sayora, open the door!"

Akito continued to back away until she bumped into the wall behind her. Her frightened eyes never left the figure in front of her. They couldn't. It was as if Sayora's fury had an aura of its own which gripped Akito's eyes and refused to let them look anywhere else.

"S-stop! Don't come any closer!"

To Akito's surprise, Sayora stopped.

"Akito, you… why did you lie to me?"

The head of the family looked confused. "Wha—"

"WHY DID YOU LIE TO ME ABOUT MY FAMILY?" Sayora shouted with anguished, tear-filled eyes as she slammed her fist into the wall beside her, making Akito jump. She could feel all of the anger she was trying to hold back burst out at once.

Akito's eyes widened in shock. She was clearly unprepared for the sudden and abrupt accusation.

"TELL ME AKITO! WHY?" Sayora demanded to know. "WHY DID YOU DO IT?"

Akito didn't even get the chance to reply. Within a second, the collar of her yukata was already in Sayora's hand. The silver-haired girl slammed the older woman against the wall.

"SAY SOMETHING GODDAMMIT! DON'T JUST STAND THERE WITH THAT FUCKING BLANK LOOK ON YOUR FACE!"

Sayora could hear the door forcefully break open followed by panicked voices and pounding footsteps, but she didn't let herself be bothered with it at that instant. Rather, what she was really bothered by was Akito's silence.

"WHY AREN'T YOU SAYING ANYTHING?" she shouted. "DID YOU DO IT JUST SO YOU CAN WATCH ME TORTURE MYSELF OVER IT? YOU TOLD ME THEY WERE DEAD! AKITO YOU FUCKING LIAR!"

"Sayora!" Hatori yelled before grabbing her from behind, pulling her away and restraining her from harming the head of the family any further. "Sayora, calm down!"

Kureno immediately ran to Akito's side, putting a comforting hand on her arm. "Are you okay?" he asked the clearly frightened woman.

Both Haru and Momiji stood frozen at the entrance to the room, dumbfounded by the scene that had and was still unraveling before them. They had never seen Sayora so angry before. It was as if she had completely lost her mind. Both of the boys' hearts sank heavily with dread at the thought of losing the Sayora they knew… and the worst part of it was knowing that they were the ones responsible for the majority of the way things had turned out.

"I'LL FUCKING KILL YOU, YOU SON OF A—!" Sayora screamed, trying to attack Akito as Hatori struggled to keep her away. Tears were gushing out of her eyes. She didn't know whether she was crying out of anger or overwhelming grief anymore. She just wanted get her hands on Akito and squeeze the life out of her. "I'LL KILL YOU! YOU HEAR ME AKITO? I'LL FUCKING KILL YOU!"

"Sayora! Stop this! You have to calm down!" Hatori pleaded.

"You've misunderstood! Let us explain!" Kureno tried to tell the rampaging girl.

Akito watched as the scene before her unfolded, a crazed smile steadily creeping its way onto her face. "Ha… hahaha…"

Kureno looked over as the woman beside him stepped toward Sayora. His hand instinctively reached out in an attempt to stop her from taking a second step. "Akito—"

"I'm a liar?" Akito asked Sayora. "I'm the liar?" Her crazed smile was replaced by a look of outrage. "You should be grateful to me you brainless mutt! I saved them! I saved your worthless family from a monster! You should be on your knees thanking me!"

"Akito, stop it!" Kureno replied, holding her back.

Sayora's brows were nearly completely knitted together. "YOU SHOULD BE THE ONE ON YOUR KNEES!" She swung her arms back and grazed the side of Hatori's face with her elbow.

"Sayora, listen to me! Stop before it's too late!" the doctor warned her desperately, wincing slightly from the blow.

"LET ME GO HATORI!" Sayora screamed. "DAMMIT! I'LL FUCKING KILL YOU TOO! YOU KNEW EVERYTHING, DIDN'T YOU? YOU KNEW FROM THE VERY BEGINNING YOU FUCKING TRAITOR! YOU ERASED THEIR MEMORIES, DIDN'T YOU? LET ME GO!"

Her outburst caught Hatori off guard. Shocked by her comment, he accidentally loosened his hold for just a split second, but that was all the time Sayora needed to wrench herself free of his hold. "Sayora!" The doctor immediately went after her, but it was already too late.

Seeing the young girl lunge at her, Akito stepped back in fright, tripping over her own foot and falling on her back.

"Sayora, no!" Kureno warned.

And to everyone's surprise, she suddenly stopped. The room was dead silent. Akito stared wide-eyed at the silver-haired girl who was frozen in spot, inches away from her. Without warning, she fell to her hands and knees. Her hand gripped her chest in pain. Her heart was racing so fast and pounding her chest with so much force that it seemed like it would rip itself out of her body.

Once again, Akito let out deranged laugh that ripped through the silence of the room. "You stupid wolf!"

Hatori and Kureno both helplessly watched in horror as Sayora's necklace snapped off and fell to the ground with a thud. Akito pulled herself to her feet and looked down at Sayora as if she were an inferior creature.

"You think you can actually kill me?"

Sayora was practically gasping for air.

"How brainless can you get?" Akito shouted. "You're bounded by the curse! You're the 'protector' of God!"

Haru and Momii silently watched in horror as Sayora's steadily enlarging body began to undergo a grotesque transformation. Her limbs seemed to nearly explode to two times their original sizes. The hair that appeared as if it were forcing its way through her body was ripping through the clothes she wore.

"YOU CAN'T LAY A FINGER ON ME!" Akito shouted deliriously.

The two young boys were paralyzed by fear as Sayora took her full form. The claws on her massive paw made a deep scratch on the floor with the slight shift of her leg. A low, dangerous growl emitted from behind her gritted teeth. Her fur stood up as straight as her ears. It was as if she felt she was being threatened by everyone's presence in the room.

"Kill me?" Akito nearly spat. "You were born to serve me! Protect me! Protect our bonds!"

Sayora's ears twitched as she listened to Akito's words.

"YOU'RE A SLAVE TO THE CURSE!"

"Akito!" both Hatori and Kureno pleaded.

"REMEMBER YOUR PLACE AND YOUR DUTY TO IT, YOU MUTT!"

The oversized wolf let out a shrilling cry before turning its head in the direction of Haru and Momiji. Its black eyes pierced through the two boys and struck a brand new fear into them.

"Akito! Stop her!" Hatori demanded. However, he was ignored as the head of the family simply continued to watch the events unfold.

"S-Sayora! Don't!" Kureno begged.

The wolf's head snapped in the young man's direction before letting out another deafening cry.

-Kyo and Yuki-

Kyo felt a sudden jolt in his heart and abruptly stopped running. Yuki turned to look at his cousin who was staring blankly ahead of him.

"What's wrong?" he asked, somewhat worried about the strange look on his face.

"She's… she's not here…" Kyo said.

"What?"

"She's not here," the orange-haired boy repeated as he turned around and stared off into the distance. "She's at the Main House…" he said, taking off without warning.

"Hey! Wait!" Yuki yelled as he ran after him. "How do you know?"

"I just do!" he replied. With each step he took toward the Main House, the dreadful feeling in his gut grew, but he didn't understand why. He couldn't explain where the feeling came from, or even how he knew that Sayora was at the Main House. He just had a really strong feeling that something had gone horribly wrong. It was as if that feeling was calling out to him, drawing him to where he needed to go.

-Few Moments Later-

Yuki and Kyo arrived at the Main House and immediately rushed in. They could hear the commotion from far beyond the high walls surrounding the Souma estate. There was so much panic inside that they couldn't even tell which way to go. As they stood back and watched, Kyo spotted a familiar figure racing toward Akito's house. It was unmistakably Kan.

What is he…? Kyo wondered to himself as he began to follow him.

"Kyo! Where're you—" As Yuki turned to look at his cousin, he caught sight of a grey... thing through a slight clearing in the bushes and trees. Though he was hardly able to make out the figure from where he stood, he had no doubt that it was the same creature he saw years ago that had been etched into his mind ever since. The memory of that day literally sent an unsettling chill down Yuki's spine. Sayora… he thought worriedly as he began to make his way through the trees.

Kyo was almost halfway to Akito's house before he realized that he was by himself. He glanced back and stopped when he saw Yuki's shrinking figure running off in the opposite direction. Did… did he find her?

-Meanwhile-

Kan dashed down the hall and slammed the door to the room open. He looked in. No one.

"Dammit!" he cursed in frustration. It was his first time back in Akito's house in over ten years. He couldn't remember where everything was anymore. That servant said he was in his room! Where the hell is his room?

He took a moment to catch his breath and looked down the hall. It was then that he noticed that the door to one of the rooms had been broken in to. Kan steadily made his way down the hall and to the room.

Please be there…

He looked in. The room was empty, but it was a total mess. There were a few scratches on the wall and all over the floors. The futon on the ground had been torn up and there was shattered glass everywhere. The closet door had been snapped in half. Pieces of paper from the ripped up sliding doors were scattered about the ground. Kan slammed his fist against the door frame. His exasperation was building by the second.

Suddenly, he noticed something shining on the floor of the dimly lit room.

Yes… he thought as he went over and picked it up. With this, I won't need Akito.

Kan turned around and ran back out the room, the necklace gripped tightly in his clenched hand.


Wha… what's going on…? I can't…

"Stop!"

"Get away from her!"

Those voices… Hatori… and Kureno…

"Haru, Momiji! What happened? Why is she—"

and Yuki… why are they yelling? What's happening?

"How are we going to change her back?" one of the servants panicked.

"I'll do it!" It was Kureno's voice.

"Don't be ridiculous!" Hatori objected. "It's too dangerous!"

"I'm the only one who can do it!"

"She'll kill you!"

Oh… I must've transformed… No… I don't like this. I'll end up hurting someone again…

"Sa-Syora?"

Kyo… is that Kyo?

"What the hell happened…?"

"Kyo, get away from her!"

I'm scared… I'm sorry Kyo…

"What's going on?"

I'm really sorry. I love you. So please… just disappear out of my life. I don't want to hurt you!

A bead of sweat rolled down the side of Kyo's face as he stared at the wolf monster baring its large fangs at him.

Please!

"Kyo!" Hatori shouted as the wolf lunged at the orange-haired boy.

The wolf's claw narrowly missed Kyo as he stumbled out of the way at the very last minute. His shirt however, wasn't as lucky. There were two long tears down the front across his body.

"Akito! Listen to me! You have to stop her!" Kureno tried to reason with her. "This isn't okay! People are going to get hurt!"

An uncharacteristic roar from the wolf turned Kureno's attention away from Akito. He watched as the monster literally threw itself at Kyo, flinging him to the ground and pinning him down with one of its paws. Kyo winced slightly from the claws that were digging into his shoulder. He could feel each ragged breath hitting his face.

No… stop…

"Sa… Sayora…" Kyo was trying to push the wolf's heavy foot off with his free arm. Shit… this really hurts…she's really trying to kill me!

"Akito! Stop her now!" Kureno desperately pleaded.

"Stop her?" Akito asked. "Why should I?"

"She'll kill him! Do you want that?" Hatori asked.

Akito frowned in anger and displeasure. "If you want to stop her so bad, then do it yourself!"

Yuki tried to tackle the large beast off of Kyo. He made enough impact through its thick fur to draw its attention away from the orange-haired boy lying on the ground. The second it turned its head away, Kyo grabbed the foot on his shoulder and twisted it off of him with all his might. The monster lost its balance and stumbled back. Both Kyo and Yuki quickly moved away from the angry wolf. However, the large creature recovered quicker than they both had expected.

"K-Kyo!" Yuki yelled as he watched the top of the wolf's paw slam into his cousin's chest, sending him crashing into the trunk of a tree.

Kyo fell to the ground coughing, finding it difficult to breathe properly after such a hard impact.

Please…

Kyo could only watch as the wolf slowly advanced toward him, its piercing black eyes fixated on his frightened red ones. Its snarl steadily grew louder, its breath heavier, with each step it took toward the defenseless man.

Someone… please stop me!

Without warning, the wolf suddenly leapt at Kyo once again. He was unable to do anything but watch as its wide-opened mouth closed in on him. Kyo squeezed his eyes shut and looked away, bracing himself for the painful, and possibly final blow.

"NO!"

Kan suddenly jumped out at the wolf, reaching for its mouth. He managed to maneuver his arm around its head and pulled himself closer to it, hugging its mouth tightly shut. They both hit the ground with a loud thud. Kyo cracked his eyes opened to see the wolf shaking its head furiously, trying to throw Kan off of it. One of its claw managed to catch Kan across his back as it tried to brush him off with its two front legs, leaving a long, shallow scratch.

"Be careful!" Hatori warned as he and Kureno ran and tried to help restrain the distracted wolf.

"Don't just sit there! Get away, stupid cat!" Yuki yelled to a dazed Kyo.

After a few moments of struggling, Kan finally managed to wrap his arms around the wolf's body, hugging it tightly against him. It suddenly started to stumble around, tripping over its own feet and collapsing to the ground. The large monster began to calm down as its body slowly shrank until it finally returned to the size of Sayora's normal Jyuunishi form, its claws and hair receding back to their normal length. Kan quickly snapped the necklace back in place.

"Sh… she returned to normal…" Yuki said, staring in amazement.

Kyo unsteadily tried to pull himself back on his feet, but even the slightest movement caused him pain at the moment, so he let himself sit back against the tree again. Both Hatori and Kureno let out an exhausted sigh.

Sayora… Kan thought as he lied where he was, his eyes slowly closing on him, his arms still gently wrapped around his little sister's small and unconscious wolf form. You're okay now Sayora…

Hatori's eyes widened, noticing a dark, crimson liquid staining the grass beside the young man. "Kan?" the doctor asked worriedly as he rushed over to him. "Kan!" He gently rolled him on his back. On the left side of his stomach, there was a stab wound about two inches deep.

"I told you…"

Everyone turned to look at Akito who had spoke with a trembling voice.

"I told you I was protecting them, you monster! Look at what you did to your brother!" The look on Akito's face was like that of a child who had been caught doing something wrong. "This isn't my fault. I told you I was protecting them… I told you…"


Tohru stole a shy glance at Shigure's back as he led her down the unfamiliar street. Shigure hadn't said a word to her since they left the festival together. She couldn't stand it. His silence made her mind race endlessly about the different possibilities of what could be going on. She wanted to ask him what was happening, but she didn't want it to seem like she was sticking her nose where it didn't belong. Tohru squeezed her eyes shut in frustration. She didn't know whether she should speak up or not. The anxious girl stole another glance at Shigure's back. She clenched her hands nervously and stopped walking, finally drawing up the courage to question him.

"Shigure-san."

He paused mid-step.

"Where are we going?" Tohru asked, sounding clearly worried. "What's going on?"

For a few seconds, the two stood silently where they were, one nervously fidgeting while the other calmly staring down the dark street they had been traveling on.

"Shigure-san," Tohru pushed, not wanting to be kept in the dark.

"What do you think of Naori-chan?" he suddenly asked.

Eh…? She was confused about what his question had to do with what she wanted to know.

"She was cute, wasn't she? And sweet too."

Tohru didn't know where Shigure was going with this.

"That girl is Sayora-chan's little sister."

Tohru's eyes widened, surprised by the unexpected news. "Sayora-san's little—…" Her words cut off mid-way. It was in this moment that Shigure's words truly hit her. "Sayora-san's… little sister…?" she asked, feeling her heart sink. But then… that would mean that those people with Naori-san are… "Wh… why?" Tohru asked, already feeling the tears well up in her eyes. "I… I don't understand. Sayora-san said that her parents died. She said that—"

"Do you want to know?" Shigure interrupted the upset young girl, finally turning around to face her. He had a humorless, almost regretful smile on his face. "I'll tell you everything if you want."

Tohru watched as he walked by her and took a seat on the railing on the side of the road.

"You should already know this, but Sayora-chan, being the wolf of the zodiac, is the 'protector' of God," Shigure began. "That so being the case, it was decided that Sayora-chan was to leave her family and live in the Main House with Akito, isolated from contact with other people including those of the Jyuunishi so that a strong bond could be developed between the two. That way, she would dutifully fulfill her role as the loyal protector of God. With no outside contact, she would have no reason to betray him.

"However, Sayora-chan's family refused to give her up. They pleaded with the Main House to let her live a normal life, but they objected, claiming that it was the duty of all those in the zodiac to fulfill their respective roles to God. Neither side refused to give in, so those in the Main House resorted to other methods of taking Sayora-chan… They lied." Shigure looked at Tohru's already tear-stained face, but continued nonetheless. "They decided to tear the family apart. They allowed Sayora-chan's parents to visit her less and less until finally, they successfully managed to cut them off from their daughter completely. They told Sayora-chan's parents that their daughter didn't want to see them anymore…

"Her parents didn't believe them and relentlessly continued to visit the Main House, asking to at least let them see their daughter again. Sayora-chan's mother couldn't cope being without her. The Main House didn't know what to do, so they ordered both of her parents' memories to be wiped. Sayora-chan's brother, Kan-kun, continually demanded to see her and threatened to expose the Souma family secret if they didn't let him. One of the servants felt sorry for him, so instead of having his memories erased, she told him that the 'truth' was that Sayora-chan had died of an illness and that her death had driven his parents insane. They couldn't take losing her, so their memories were erased in order to save them from going crazy. With no way to confirm what the servant told him, Kan-kun had no choice but to believe her.

"When Sayora-chan finally asked to see her family again, they said to her, 'Your family committed suicide.'"

Tohru's hand covered her mouth in disbelief. Her eyes were swollen; her face was practically soaked with tears at this point.

"'They couldn't accept a monster in their life.'"

Tohru felt her heart aching with grief.

"'In the end, they couldn't accept the weight of their sins.'"

She didn't want to hear anymore, but Shigure didn't seem to care.

"'The only place you belong to is next to God. This was all your fault.'"

"Stop…"

But Shigure didn't. "'It's all because you betrayed God.'"

"Please!" Tohru begged through her sobbing. "Please… no more… I can't…" she trailed off weakly. "Please…"

Shigure looked up at the weeping girl. "It's painful, isn't it?" he asked. "Can you imagine what it must be like to find out that all of that pain was nothing but a lie?"

Tohru felt like her heart was being crushed. What kinds of emotions must Sayora have been feeling at the moment? Anger? Sadness? She couldn't even begin to imagine…

-Next Morning-

Kan looked away from the window he had been staring out of when he heard the door to his hospital room creak open. Haru and Momiji both hesitated slightly before slowly walking in.

"Hey," Momiji greeted with a small smile. He had tried to sound like his usual self, but the guilt and fear in his voice was painfully obvious. "We brought you a present," he said, setting the melon down on the small table stand beside his bed.

"How're you feeling?" Haru asked, doing a better job of sounding normal.

"Okay," Kan replied. "… The doctors said I'll be discharged in a couple days."

"Oh, I see. That's good to hear."

A few seconds passed by in silence, but it felt like a few long awkward minutes to Momiji and Haru. They couldn't tell how Kan felt. His voice sounded tired, but other than that, he appeared to sound normal, and that was exactly why it scared them so much. They didn't know how to react. How angry was he at them? Was he okay with everything? They couldn't tell anything at all.

Momiji couldn't stand it any longer. "We're really sorry Kan!" he burst out. "We're sorry we never said anything to you about Sayo!"

Kan thought about saying something but decided to let the boy speak his mind and get everything off his chest.

"We didn't want to hide it from you but we were afraid of what would happen if we told you! We were told that your memories would be erased if we said anything! We didn't mean for you to find out this way Kan! We wanted to tell you! The whole time Haru and I knew, we… we were always… always…" There were so many thoughts running through Momiji's mind that he couldn't sort them out fast enough to speak properly. He didn't know what to say to make Kan understand how sorry he was. Anything he said would only sound like desperate excuses.

"I know an apology probably won't mean anything to you," Haru said, unable to look Kan in the eye.

The young man didn't say a single word. The expression on his face was unreadable.

"... Are... are you mad?" Momiji asked quietly. He needed to know.

Kan looked at the two boys standing nervously by his bedside. "I'm not mad," he replied, surprising them both. "I understand. You both did what you had to do. Having to face me with that secret hanging in the back of your mind must've been hard, yet you guys kept coming back to see Naori and me anyway. Having to force on a smile and act like nothing was wrong, pushing yourselves to look me in the eye as you lied to me, watching us all live as if she never existed… all of those things must've been painful to do. I know it wasn't easy."

Both Momiji and Haru had their eyes cast downward the whole time. Their dejected expression hadn't left their faces.

"Momiji. Haru," Kan said sternly. "Look at me. There's something important I have to say to the both of you."

He patiently waited for them to look up at him. However, neither of them did so. The weight of their guilt was too heavy for them to allow themselves to lift their heads. Kan mentally sighed as he watched them stand frozen in spot, their eyes glued to the floor. He didn't want them to torment themselves over what they did anymore. He was sure that they had already endured more than their fair share of suffering over this entire incident.

"Thank you," Kan said, breaking the uncomfortable silence in the room.

The two boys' eyes widened at Kan's unexpected words of gratitude. Haru and Momiji finally looked up at him. The whole time they had stood before him, they could steadily feel their guilt building by the millisecond. There was so much tension building inside that it had literally made them feel sick to their stomach.

"Thank you for trying so hard to protect my memories of Sayora."

It was as if someone had shattered the chains of guilt that had shackled them to the ground. The unbearable tension that had been suffocating them was suddenly gone. They felt they could finally breathe again. Momiji looked like he was about to cry.

Kan reached his hand out and patted Momiji's head gently, trying to calm him down a bit. "Don't ever feel ashamed about what you did. Feel proud," he said, "… proud that you were willing to sacrifice so much for the sake of protecting someone else's happiness."

Momiji held back his tears. He didn't want to cry, not after the words that were just spoken to him. Kan had a small, sympathetic smile on his face as he looked from Momiji to Haru who had been silently watching them from afar.

"You too, Haru," Kan said, seeing the troubled look on the boy's face. "Sayora's been relying on you ever since you two were young. Thank you for protecting her for me."

Haru and Momiji felt saved byKan's gentle, liberating words. In their hearts, they had always believed that they couldn't be forgiven for what they'd done, yet Kan had forgiven them, and by doing so, allowed them to forgive themselves.

"Have you gone by to see Sayora yet?" Kan asked after a short while.

"Not yet," Haru answered. "They said she hasn't woken up yet."

"I see," he replied. "You two should go visit her and see how she's doing."

"Yeah…"

Momiji smiled at Kan, thankful to him for everything he said to them. "We'll come visit again tomorrow."

Kan returned the young boy's smile. "Okay."

With that, the two boys left the room, quietly shutting the door behind them. Kan's smile immediately vanished. His eyes didn't leave the door until the sound of their footsteps disappeared. Once they were gone, he looked away and closed his eyes, letting out a very slow, deep breath. Momiji's words kept ringing in his ears.

"… Are you mad?"

He opened his eyes and frowned, his fists clenched tightly on the blanket.

Am I mad? Kan repeated Momiji's question to himself. What the hell kind of question is that? Of course I'm mad! He was clenching his fists so hard that his fingers started to go numb. I'm furious!

Kan closed his eyes again and took in a deep breath, trying to force himself to calm down. It wasn't like he didn't understand how Momiji and Haru must've felt. He understood their reasons for keeping his sister a secret from him. He really did. And he meant every word of what he had said to them…

Kan could only be thankful that he had enough self-control and dignity not to take his anger and frustrations out on them. What exactly was he so angry and frustrated about? Even he didn't fully comprehend his own feelings at the moment…

-Meanwhile-

"Kyo?"

The orange-haired boy was pulled out of his thoughts as his teacher walked into his hospital room with a relieved look on his face.

"Shishou!" Kyo hadn't expected him to visit.

"I heard about what happened last night," Kazuma said. "How are your injuries?"

Kyo caught his master's worried glances. "They're fine. I'm ready to leave already but they want to keep me overnight just incase."

"I see…"

There was a short moment of silence in the room. One look at Kyo and Kazuma could immediately tell what was on his mind.

"Are you thinking about Sayora?" he asked.

"Wh…" Kyo gulped hesitantly as he replayed the incident last night in his mind. "What the hell… happened?" he asked, trying to find the right words to use. He had hidden it from everyone else, but he couldn't hide it from his teacher. Kyo was terrified. "She was trying to kill me… I mean… really trying to kill me…" He turned and looked at the older man. He needed some answers. "What was that… that…" Kyo paused and trailed off. What word was he trying to say? 'Monster?' No. He refused to use that word on Sayora.

"That…" Kazuma took over, "was the reason Sayora ran away from you that night," he said, referring to the night Kyo had transformed. "That was the curse that Sayora was so frightened of. That is the reason Sayora is so afraid to get close to you." Kazuma took a few steps closer to the orange-haired boy. "Do you understand now Kyo? The reasons she had for rejecting you that night?"

The young man was silent.

"Her fear of the curse wasn't just her being paranoid over nothing," Kazuma continued. "Once she turns into that creature, she will attack the one who has become closest to her. Do you realize what this means, Kyo?"

Kyo watched his teacher walk up to his bedside.

"So… now that you've seen what she really is, what will you do? Her curse is quite terrifying, isn't it?" Kazuma asked. "With that kind of thing standing in your way, will you abandon her, Kyo?"

-Main House-

Hatori lit his cigarette and drew in a long, deep breath. He closed his eyes and let the smoke cool in his mouth for a short while before inhaling it into his lungs. He then held it for another short while before slowly exhaling the smoke through his nose.

"Something bothering you?" came Shigure's voice from behind him.

The doctor turned around to see his best friend leaning against the doorway to his office, arms loosely crossed with a small, tired smile on his face. Shigure invited himself in and grabbed a cigarette from the boxful sitting on Hatori's desk before joining him by the opened sliding doors that led outside. As he lit his cigarette, he looked up at the bright blue sky littered with large, fluffy clouds, peacefully floating by. It was such a beautiful day. Too beautiful. Too peaceful. It was as if the world was mocking them, letting them know that it couldn't care less about the predicament they were going through. The rest of the world would simply move on and leave them behind.

"It's rare to see you so troubled over something," Shigure said with a light laugh, trying to lighten up the mood a bit. "What's on your mind?"

Hatori put one of his hands into his lab jacket pocket and sighed quietly to himself. "This is all my fault…"

Shigure gave the doctor a questioning look. "What in the world are you talking about?" he asked curiously, not taking him seriously.

Hatori's gaze was fixed on his backyard. "Sayora called me a traitor."

That single comment made Shigure's lighthearted attitude vanish.

"I was the one who erased her parents' memories. I alone was the one who made all of this possible." He had been thinking that ever since Sayora's outburst. "I erased everyone's memories so thoughtlessly back then. It must be all catching up to me now…" Just like that time with… Hatori looked down, an image of his lost lover flashing through his mind.

"You're not thinking of Kana, are you?" Shigure asked, surprising his friend with her name.

The doctor stared down at his own hand in regret. "This power is like a curse of its own. It must be punishment."

Shigure let out an unamused laugh. "Ha. Punishment?" he asked. "Punishment for what?" He glanced at the man standing beside him. This wasn't the Hatori he knew. The normally calm, poised, almost seemingly apathetic doctor now stood with his back slightly hunched over, his eyes cast down toward the floor. He was really beating himself up over everything that had happened. Shigure sighed to himself. He didn't think it was possible for anyone to ever make him feel guilty, but Hatori had managed to do it with ease.

"Want me to tell you something good?" Shigure asked, catching the man's attention. "Everything that happened last night was my fault."

Hatori's eyes widened in shock. He turned to look at Shigure to try to figure out whether he was serious or not, but the look on his face was unreadable. Hatori narrowed his eyes at his cousin. "Shigure, if this is a joke—"

"Oh? But I'm serious," Shigure assured him. "That's why you don't have to feel bad about anything."

Hatori was confused. How was Shigure to blame for any of it? Was this man trying to comfort him? Normally, he was the type to just sit back and listen, throwing in a few lighthearted, wise-guy comments here and there to keep the mood from becoming too heavy… or just for the sake of humoring himself and being irritating. Nonetheless, this unusual show of compassion was rare from Shigure. Unless of course…

"Was this a part of one of your schemes again?"

Shigure looked over at Hatori with a slightly surprised look on his face. "Ahaha…" he laughed with a sheepish, apologetic smile. "Was it that obvious?"

Hatori let out a loud, tired sigh. "How long do you think I've known you?"

"That's why I keep telling you," Shigure said. "There's no need to blame yourself for what happened…" The look in his eyes turned serious. "… Though I must admit, I really didn't expect things to get so out of hand." His voice was solemn, almost remorseful, behind that small, calm, tired, laid-back smile he kept on his face. "I had only planned for Kan-kun and Sayora-chan to bump into each other."

"And where were things supposed to go from there?"

Shigre shrugged. "Who knows? It was supposed to be a joyful, tearful reunion between two long-lost siblings," he replied jokingly.

Hatori looked away and lit another cigarette. His gaze was once again fixed on his backyard. "That's rather cruel, even for you."

"Haha… come now. That's a harsh thing to say, don't you think?" Shigure laughed lightly. "Don't say that kind of thing to me right now…" His smile had disappeared. "I actually feel quite bad about the way things turned out." He let the door beside him support his full weight. "So bad, in fact, that I didn't have the heart to come back and face Sayora-chan and Kan-kun right away…"

Hatori turned around and walked back into his office. "You actually feel guilty for what you did?" he asked in a taunting way. "Is hell freezing over any time soon?"

Shigure laughed at his friend's sarcasm.

"What in the world were you thinking?" Hatori asked as he watched the other man stare up at the sky once more.

"Don't you feel it, Hatori? It's slowly coming apart." Shigure paused to put out the cigarette he had hardly smoked. "If we can nudge loose the bond between Akito and Sayora, the tightest, most absolute bond of the zodiac curse, it'll weaken the curse's strength.

"If we use Sayora's family along with Kyo to force her away from Akito, and use Tohru to continue to draw the other members away…" Shigure turned to look at the silent doctor. "Our freedom is barely out of reach Hatori. Just a little more… and it could be within our grasp."

Deep down, Hatori felt ashamed for never having spoken out against Shigure's methods of breaking the curse. There was no guarantee that it was even going to work, and if it were the case that it didn't work, then all of the suffering everyone had to go through thanks to his unorthodox methods would've been for nothing… but Hatori couldn't say that to him. Whatever Shigure was doing, at least he was doing something rather than just sitting around and letting things lie. Besides, Hatori couldn't deny that he wanted nothing more than for the curse to be broken. He just didn't have it in him to hurt others for the sake of breaking the curse.

In a way, Shigure had saved him by becoming the bad guy. Hatori could watch someone break the curse for him, and he would never have to lift a finger against anyone. Perhaps that was the one thing that Hatori had come to admire about his cousin. Shigure's ability to push forward without fear of consequence. It was almost frightening, really. It was like he didn't know how to do anything else but push forward, plowing through every hurdle in his path, even at the expense of others. Perhaps, thanks to that ability of his, they would one day possibly gain their freedom…

-Next Chapter's Preview-

Hopeless Chapter 29 – Lost Memories

Sayora's childhood story is finally revealed. Meanwhile, Chiharu's memories of Sayora come rushing back to her after an encounter with Sayora and Akito at the hospital. What will happen to her when she suddenly remembers the child she never thought she had? And also, how will Sayora react when she finally learns the truth behind why she was lied to all those years ago?


A/N: So... sorry for the really crappy description I gave of the wolf monster lol. I googled some images and found this picture www(DOT)quileutes(DOT)com/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/werewolf1-264x300(DOT)jpg. This is actually almost exactly what I had pictured in my mind as I was writing the scene =P