Untitled
 by: Trowa-kun
e-mail: fujisaki_suguru@hotmail.com

I had such a hard time getting that last one to upload...it almost drove me sane...almost...Anyways...we shall see what happens now, shan't we?
No flames guys, KK? good......

~*~*~Part Four~*~*~

When morning had come, Catherine had walked down to the stables. The smell of fresh hay and sweet grain made some of the tensions of the situation ebb away. She would have liked to have come down to the barn with Trowa, but she had been unable to find him, so she went by herself.

The few workers that were in the barn didn't really seem to notice her, and just stayed out of her way as they went about their work. This didn't bother her one bit. In fact, it really just made it easier for her to relax. She found some brushes lying nearby, so she picked them up and went into a stall with a little gray mare.

The horse eyed her and snorted. Catherine was a completely unfamiliar smell to her. Catherine knew this and slowly extended her hand, palm up, to the mare so she could smell her better. The mare sniffed, and then lipped the pro-offered hand. Finally satisfied that the woman wouldn't hurt her, she went back to munching on her hay.

Catherine smiled and gently started brushing the mare. She was well built and her muscles rippled under her silky gray coat with even the slightest move of her head as she munched on her hay. Catherine's worries and concerns faded into the back of her mind as she busied herself caring for the animal.

"Ahem…"

Both Catherine and the mare jumped at the sound and turned their heads to look at the man standing there. "Ano…Hotohori-sama…" Catherine stuttered.

The emperor smiled at her, "Gomen nasai, Catherine. I didn't mean to startle you."

Catherine blushes slightly as she picked up the brushes she'd been using to groom the mare. "I hope it was ok that I was brushing her…its just I needed something…" Her voice trailed off.

"To take your mind off of the situation?" He somewhat finished for her. She nodded. "Would you like to take her for a ride? I was about to go for my daily ride myself, and I would love to have some company."

She looked at him and nodded, "Hai…I think I would like that…"

Hotohori nodded and called a stable hand over, asking him to get Catherine a saddle and bridle for the horse. Catherine walked out of the stall and noticed the horse attached to the other end of the reigns that Hotohori was holding. It was a gorgeous chestnut mare, slightly taller than the one she had been grooming. The stable hand came back and saddled the gray mare up for her, handing her the reigns. Thanking the stable hand, they walked out of the barn and mounted the horses.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Nuriko looked over at Trowa, it was morning now, but he was still searching the area for clues that obviously weren't going to be found. "Tro-wa…we should go back…" Trowa shot the older man a glare. Nuriko ignored it and grabbed Trowa by the wrist, dragging him back to the palace. Ignoring Trowa's protests the whole way.

The guards at the palace gave Nuriko a weird look, but didn't say anything to them. Nuriko let go of Trowa when they arrived outside of Trowa's room, "Take a bath and get something to eat. Then we'll continue looking for clues. Ok?"

Trowa sighed reluctantly and went into the room. Nuriko waited till the door closed, then headed off to his own room to take his own advice. He paused momentarily when he saw Tamahome running into a wall…repeatedly, "Ano…I hope Miaka gets back soon."

~*~*~*~*~*~

Catherine and Hotohori returned to the barn and handed the horses to some stable hands. "I'm really not used to making other people take care of the animals." Catherine said as she watched the horses being led off.

Hotohori looked at her, "You must work a lot with animals where you are from."

Catherine nodded, "Yes…" Her face saddened thinking about home.

Hotohori frowned, "Gomen nasai, I didn't mean…" his voiced trailed off as he watched Nuriko in the distance dragging Catherine's brother into the palace.

Catherine noticed his paused and looked up at him, then looked in the direction he was looking, "Umm…"

Hotohori looked back at Catherine, "I guess we should go get cleaned up before lunch?"

Catherine nodded, "That sounds like a good idea."

~*~*~*~*~*~

Lunch passed quietly, few words being spoken between anyone. Afterwards, Catherine followed Trowa outside, "Jittei…"

He turned at looked at her, "Nani?"

"Did…they show you the shrine?"

He nodded slowly, "Hai…yesterday…"

She fidgeted momentarily, "Did anything about it…remind you of…"

Trowa nodded, "Hai…it did, but I didn't want to say anything to you about it…"

"Why NOT?" Anger suddenly flared up in Catherine, then quickly died down, "Go...gomen ne, Jittei…" Tears threatened to spill onto her cheeks, "Its just…just…"

Trowa pulled her into a hug, "Its ok, I just didn't want your judgment clouded by what I said. If you felt the same thing I felt going into that shrine without me having said anything to you…then it means…"

He didn't get a chance to finish as Catherine bolted out of his arms and dragged him to the shrine. She paused at the door, giving Trowa a moment to compose himself before she opened the doors.

Nuriko had walked out of the dinning area and seen Catherine and Trowa talking, and immediately went and got Hotohori. The two followed the brother and sister and watched them as they entered the shrine. "What do you think will happen?" Nuriko asked the emperor.

Hotohori shook his head, "There's no way to tell what will happen." He dragged Nuriko up to the doors of the shrine after Trowa and Catherine had gone in, "But we should watch to find out…"

Catherine looked around the shrine as they walked in. Trowa stayed close to her, just in case something did happen. "It looks…almost the same…" Her voice was quiet, almost reverent.

Trowa grunted, "Just a lot cleaner…"

Catherine elbowed him in the ribs and walked up to the alter. Trowa ignored the elbowing and followed her, resting a protective hand on her elbow. Catherine reached out slowly to the sculpture of the bird. "Be careful" Trowa whispered to her. She nodded and touched it.

It was different this time; the light didn't surround them as suddenly, but it did surround them non-the-less. Again, Trowa pulled Catherine close to him, protectively. Nuriko and Hotohori watched on with awe, but didn't dare enter the shrine that was now filled with the red light of Suzaku.

~*~*~*~*~*~

The red light vanished and Trowa and Catherine looked around at their surroundings. The shrine that they had been in moments ago had seemingly aged hundreds of years in a matter of seconds. "Creepy…" Catherine whispered.

Trowa nodded and lead her out of the shrine. The surroundings were altered from moments ago, and in the distance sat Catherine's car. "Aneue…I think we're home…"

Catherine looked over his shoulder then walked around him, "Hai…you're right…we better get going…"

Trowa nodded and followed her to the car. They rode in silence back to the college where he went to school and where she worked.

They drove onto campus and Catherine pulled up in front of Winner Apartment and they got out to unload his few belongings from the car.

Duo ran out of the dorm, "TROWA!!!!!! CATHERINE!!!! Did you guys have a good summer break?" He gave Catherine a kiss on the cheek and picked up Trowa's small suitcase. Duo didn't even notice their reactions as he went back into the dorm, dragging Catherine behind him and talking non-stop.

Trowa turned to survey the campus and suddenly stopped. There, in front of Jurai Residence Hall stood two very familiar looking people talking to each other. Trowa's eyes went wide and he turned and ran into Winner Apartment. "Catherine!"

Catherine had been talking to Quatre and Duo, but turned to look at Trowa, "Nani?"

"Nuriko and Hotohori…." She blinked in confusion and he dragged her over to a window, "Look…"

~*~*~End~*~*~

12/17/01