Disclaimer:

Ayashi no Ceres the title, anime, and all characters portrayed in it are created by Watase Yuu. Characters portrayed in this fanfiction from Ayashi no Ceres are merely borrowed for fan purposes only and are not in anyway directed towards any copyright infringement acts.

Notes:

Still working on the last two chapters of this fic… total of 8 chapters… (I think—teehee…) This has also subconsciously developed into a Yuuhi fic! Har har har… but I love Yuuhi anyways… so there! *laughs* My goal is to finish writing it all by December 15. *grins* Still don't have a title for this either… any suggestions? Ok… please read & review… hope you enjoy it!

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Five thousand years ago, my heart was broken.

Until this very day, it still bled for the man I love.

Five thousand years long…

Ceres… You took everything away from me…

You shall taste the wrath of my sorrow.

One day…

"Yuuhi! Kochi kochi!" Aya yelled across the train station platform, waving across the crowd. She and Tooya had just descended from the train that had took them from Kanagawa to Tokyo. Aki, their six-month-old baby, was miraculously sound asleep amidst the loud crowd, rocked in her father's sturdy, protective arms. Aya had wanted to name her baby after Aki, in  memory of her twin brother.

Yuuhi waved back and ran towards his two best friends with Kyuu-chan. He was glad that they were safe and well. "Okaeri, Aya!" Yuuhi said as he gave the girl he had loved for so long a warm embrace. "Ooo! Is Aki asleep? Kawaii na…" he said as he looked at the sleeping baby in Tooya's arms and his fingers stroke on a strand of her soft hair gently.

Tooya smiled a soft smile. "Genki desuka, Aogiri?" he asked his good friend.

Yuuhi slapped Tooya's shoulder lightly. "Genki!" he exclaimed. "Let's go!" he said as he took the big bag that Aya was carrying and slung it over his shoulders and led Aya and Tooya to the front entrance.

As Tooya and Yuuhi walked in front of Aya, suddenly her sight was distracted by something that looked too familiar. She stopped her steps to look at what she thought she saw behind the rushing crowd. And as the crowd parted, in a split second suddenly it felt as if time slowed down almost to a stop when she saw the figure of her late twin brother, Mikage Aki.

Aki…

Tooya and Yuuhi's conversing voices suddenly seemed so far away. The world suddenly disappeared into darkness. All that remains was Aki's figure, so real, in front of her eyes. Without thinking further, Aya dropped her bag and started her steps to run to where she had seen Aki.

"Oi! Aya!?" Yuuhi exclaimed as he suddenly saw her run off at the corner of his eye.

"AYA!!!" Tooya yelled after her. "Kyuu-chan… onegai…" he said in his usual calm tone as he handed his child carefully into Kyuu-chan's arms, then proceeded to run after Yuuhi, who had already started after Aya.

Aya felt her eyes getting hot and her tears started running across her face. Please god… don't take him away from me again… please… The figure she saw became closer and closer with each step she took, until she was finally in front of him.

Aya was now standing right in front… Aki. Aki stared right at Aya with a shocked look on his face. He froze.

"Aki…" Aya's voice trembled as she looked into his face. "It's you… it's really… really… you…!" her voice broke into sobs and she leaped to hug her brother.

"Aogiri…" Tooya stopped his steps short as he saw who Aya had leaped to hug. "Aitsu wa…"

"It can't be…" Yuuhi muttered in disbelief.

"Oi oi… ojoo-chan… I think you've mistaken me for someone else…" the young man who looked exactly like Aki suddenly said, as he untangled Aya's arms from his broad shoulders and pulled her off his torso.

Aya stopped her sobs and looked at his face in disbelief. "No…" she muttered softly. "No…! Aki! No more tricks please! Oniichan!"

"Aki…? Oniichan?" he asked, still grasping on Aya's wrists to keep her away from him. "I don't know who that is. I'm certainly not him, and certainly not your brother." He said as he released Aya's wrists.

"Oniichan? Daijobu?" called a voice from behind Yuuhi, and a girl with long, flowing raven hair approached the young man. For a second Yuuhi felt his heart stop when he laid eyes on her beauty. He hadn't felt this feeling in a long time. Not since he met Aya that even until now, still has his heart.

"Aaa… daijobu, Sayaka-chan." He answered, taking the girl's hand and pulled her to him, almost as if using her to protect himself from Aya. The pretty girl looked at Aya in confusion.

"What's going on?" the girl whom was called 'Sayaka-chan' asked the boy.

"SUMIMASEEEEEEN!" Yuuhi decided to jump in suddenly and pulled Aya to him. "Gomen ne… my friend has some visual problems…" he said as he made a twirling motion with his fingers across his eyes. "She seems to have mistaken a lot of people this week. Gomen nasai! Ha… ha…!" Yuuhi chuckled sheepishly as he cupped on Aya's mouth and pulled her away from the two youngsters who were staring dumbfounded.

Tooya pulled the struggling Aya into his embrace immediately. "Aki…!" Aya kept calling. Tooya took one last look at the boy, then calmly turned away and started walking off with Aya in his arms.

"Let's go…" the boy said to his sister, and pulled her arm to walk away. Yuuhi was still standing at where he was. And as the two siblings walked away, the girl turned her head back and looked at him, as if stealing another look one last time, and they locked gaze, until she disappeared amongst the crowd and Yuuhi found himself standing alone amidst the crowd.

"Eee! Chotto matte!!!" Yuuhi yelled at Tooya and Aya.

* * *

Tooya was walking along the corridor of the Aogiri house when a paralyzing sense of fatigue suddenly stabbed into his body, and a stabbing pain wrenched his heart. He fell on one knee, panting to catch his breath. This pain… it's getting more frequent…He clenched his fist, trying to fight away the pain. Is my time running out already…? So soon…? Aya…!

Miraculously, the wrenching pain suddenly faded away. Gathering his strength back, Tooya got up on his feet, still feeling dizzy. He finally exhaled in relief. The recurring pain started three months ago, but lately it's recurring more and more frequent. Tooya had been able to hide his condition from everyone, especially Aya. Neither does she know the truth that he is dying. He had only trusted this information to Yuuhi.

He resumed his steps, but then a strange breeze swept the hallway, and he stopped his steps. The air had a different feel… Tooya thought, looking out towards the sky. Something is wrong…

Tooya opened the door into the room and saw Aya sitting by the window silently, staring into the Aogiri household's garden with a blank stare in her eyes. "Aya…" he called softly as he approached her.

Aya looked up as Tooya knelt down beside her. Her eyes suddenly welled up with tears and she broke into sobs. "Gomen ne, Tooya… But please let me cry…" Aya sobbed softly as Tooya took her into his arms. "I know I promised that I wouldn't cry anymore… I know I said that I'll be all right… but Aki… Aki was right there… in front of my eyes… and I realized how much I miss my brother…"

He ran his fingers in her soft hair gently. "Daijobu, Aya." He murmured softly. "Cry all you want… I'm right here…" he said again. As he held Aya, his eyes reflected sadness. I'm right here… His own words repeated in his mind. But for how long…? When I die… Aya… His eyes watered at the realization that he doesn't have much time left. Aside the recurring pain, he can also feel his life force growing weaker and weaker. He blinked away his tears. I have to be strong for Aya.

The door opened and Yuuhi walked in, carrying Aki in his arms. He stopped as he saw Tooya hugging Aya, and his face turned red in embarrassment. "Aaa gomen!" Yuuhi panicked upon walking into an uncomfortable situation. "I just came to bring Aki! Gomen gomen gomen!!!"

Aya looked up and wiped her tears. A smile broke into her saddened face and she started giggling at Yuuhi's behavior. It wasn't long before Aya started laughing full-heartedly with an embarrassed Yuuhi. Yuuhi brought the baby over and Aya took Aki in her arms. She looked happy once again, and Tooya was glad.

That's right… she will always have Yuuhi… and Aki…

* * *

Miyashita Sayaka sat in the classroom quietly. Her eyes were wandering out the window to the open court below where the boys were running around tossing the basketball around. She yawned, feeling bored with what she's seeing. But suddenly, her eyes caught a glimpse of someone familiar. Not just that… but… also attractive to her eyes.

That's him… The guy at the station yesterday… She thought to herself, getting up from her seat and leaning over the window to get a closer look. As she leaned out of the windowsill, she felt the cool breeze of autumn tousle her hair, cooling her face. She smiled to herself dreamily as she looked at Yuuhi.

Yuuhi squinted at the bright light of the sun shining right at his face. It was a hot day, even though the breeze was cool. Especially he's been running around the basketball court all day. He walked over to the side slowly, and pulled out a water bottle and gulped on it thirstily. He wiped the beads of sweat off his forehead.

"Aogiri! Hayaku!" exclaimed one of his teammates from the court.

"Matte!!!" Yuuhi grumbled as he tossed the water bottle back to his bag. He tugged on the shirt that he's wearing, now soaked in sweat, and pulled it off his head and tossed it into the bag as well. As he was running back to the court, suddenly his eyes caught a glimpse of a figure not too far up, leaning over the window, watching him. He stopped his steps and looked up at her, shielding his eyes from the sunlight with the back of his palm.

Surprised, Sayaka backed away from the window when Yuuhi suddenly looked up at her.

That was the girl yesterday…Yuuhi thought.

"Oooo!!! Looks like Aogiri has caught the princess' attention!!!" exclaimed one of the boys as he walks over at slaps Yuuhi on his back.

Yuuhi cringed at the hard slap that landed on his bare back. "Princess?" Yuuhi then asked, turning to his friend.

"Miyashita Sayaka." The boy said her name out loud. "The new girl who just transferred into our school. No one really knows anything about her or her background. It almost seems like she popped out of thin air. But words have it that her family is extremely wealthy. Very beautiful, as you have seen. She's a quiet girl, never conversing with anyone. Especially boys." He said, chuckling. "You are probably the first person she's ever shown interest on."

"Miyashita… Sayaka…" Yuuhi repeated her name. He felt that it sounded almost like music to his ears. He looked up again, but she was gone.

"Beware of the tall boy who seems to be extremely protective of her. He would show up in school just to see her. Words say that he's her brother… but they seem a little bit too fishy to be siblings to me." He said again.

Brother… Yuuhi was suddenly reminded by the boy whom she had called 'oniichan', who looked strangely alike to Aki. As he caught the ball that was tossed over to him, suddenly he dropped it and ran off to the side of the court.

"Hey, Aogiri!!!" one of the guys yelled out. "What are you doing?!"

Yuuhi grabbed his shirt and his bag and ran off into the building as he put on the shirt onto his torso. "Gomen, Kenji! Count me out!" he yelled as he ran. Miyashita Sayaka… Her name kept ringing in his mind as he raced up the stairs.

Suddenly as he approached the corner of the stairs he crashed into someone and they toppled over on the floor, with Yuuhi on top. When Yuuhi opened his eyes, he saw Sayaka's face wincing in pain only inches away from his. His body started to register the feel of her soft physique pressed underneath his weight.

"Aah! Gomen!!!" Yuuhi exclaimed as he threw himself backwards away from her.

Sayaka opened her eyes and was surprised to see him. "You…" she murmured softly as she inched away and tried to get up. But she felt a stabbing pain on her right leg and she slumped back down on the floor.

* * *

Yuuhi sat back on the chair in the medical center as he watched the nurse put her last touches on the bandage that is now on Sayaka's leg.

"Arigato, Aogiri-san…" Sayaka said softly as the nurse exited the room.

"Eh? For what?" Yuuhi asked, confused. He was partly surprised too that she knew his name.

"For bringing me here…"

"I should be apologizing… I caused all this mess… Miyashita-san." Yuuhi paused before he finally said her name.

She smiled again, and for a moment Yuuhi was mesmerized by her soft smile. He shook his thoughts and focused on what he had came to talk to her about. "About yesterday…" he started to speak. "I need to ask… was that your brother?"

"Yesterday?" she asked. "It was strange, wasn't it?" she said again, then paused for a second. "Hai. That was my brother, Akira. Doushite, Aogiri-san?"

"Akira…" Yuuhi repeated the name, stunned. This is too strange to be coincidental… the face… the name…

"Aogiri-san?"

Yuuhi reached into his wallet, took out a picture, and handed it to Sayaka. Sayaka's eyes widened as she looked into the picture of Aya and Aki. "Kore wa… dare…?" she asked softly, her eyes still on the photograph.

"His name is Aki... Mikage Aki."

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to be continued...