AN: okay this is the stereotypical 'serious' chapter so I'm sorry if the characters are out of character -_-; I just had to make it like this so it would be easier to understand. And if anyone is confused which you probably will be, cuz I even had to stop and think while writing this, just drop me a review and I'll try to explain anything in the next chapter in an AN.
Chapter 6
The rain splattered against the cold, hard pavement creating the effect of a black sea. Evoku waited outside on the sidewalk, not even noticing that the small tree she'd been standing over wasn't providing very good protection from the sudden downpour.
She watched with keen eyes at Yuki and Tohru left the school in a hurry in an attempt to get out of the rain. Tohru had a worried look plastered on her face, obviously thinking about Yuki's weak bronchi. She hoped that he wouldn't push himself too hard in order to get home.
Just as Evoku thought he would never appear, Kyou walked slowly out of the school and across the street under his white umbrella.
"I have to tell him," she thought, determined to admit her faults and try to lift the guilt that was weighing down her spirit. She followed him discreetly as he lagged behind the other two severely. Soon they were out of eyesight and Kyou was left behind to drag himself back home.
Kyou felt that he was being watched, but every time he would casually glance over his shoulder, all he saw were random people on the streets and a few students from his school. He saw Evoku but he figured she was just on her way home to finish her homework and study. He discreetly entered into the forest and sighed heavily, glad that he was now out of view of all the people in the city.
"Damnit… I hate when it rains…" he breathed, thankful for having an umbrella, but at the same time wanting to get home. Unfortunately, his sluggish behavior wasn't allowing him to go any faster.
He suddenly heard a small branch snap behind him. It wasn't a loud sound; in fact it would have been barely noticeable had he not had the feeling that someone was following him. He could feel eyes burning into his back, watching him. He could sense the person directly behind him and he cursed himself for not being more aware.
He suddenly turned around, fist ready to pummel whoever was being a nuisance, especially since he already wasn't feeling very active and feisty. He quickly stopped himself when he saw Evoku with a shocked expression on her face. Three jewels suddenly turned deep blue.
"Hikari… what the hell are you doing here?" he asked, suddenly both confused and frustrated.
"I could ask you the very same thing," she cocked an eyebrow and crossed her arms. She glanced towards his fist that was still in midair. "Put that away before you hurt yourself…"
"That's pretty big talk for someone who nearly got her ass kicked in a library!" he growled. Two more jewels deepened to the dark blue, Kyou too blinded by his rage to notice.
"Oh yes, thank goodness that the all powerful Nekozuki came to my rescue," she said sarcastically, "too bad your cousin surpasses you in every aspect."
"I've never hit a girl, but you're walking on thin ice!" he threatened.
"Nani? Do you think I can't handle it?"
"You're not even a challenge you're so weak," he smirked when he saw her narrowing her eyes at him from behind her thickly framed glasses. Another three jewels converted and this time Kyou noticed it, his eye twitched in confusion. "Nani?"
"Let's test that theory," she suddenly lashed out, streaking her fist through the air nailing him straight in the jaw. He instinctively used his momentum and kicked out at her side.
"Are you crazy?!" he yelled at her while she picked herself off the floor, chuckling softly to herself. Another two jewels had slipped into the blue color.
"Not bad," she looked up at him, "but I can do better…" she launched herself towards him.
Before either of them knew what was going on, they found themselves engrossed in a battle. Almost even matched, they continued into the rain as it poured harder down on them. Kyou did have an advantage over her, stronger and more experience, but she was agile and faster. He noted that several of the moves she was producing were similar, if not exact, to the ones he'd seen the young girl use the day before at her temple.
As Evoku spun around to deliver a kick to his side, Kyou grasped the back of her sweatshirt, stopping her from her attack. She slipped out of the now soaking wet sweatshirt and dropped down into the mud before kicking her leg up and nailing him under his chin.
"Nice move," he spat and wiped the blood that was now trickling down his chin.
"Shut up and fight," she said as they both stood from the mud and charged towards each other, ensuing the fight again. Sometime during the fight, Kyou had ripped his left sleeve, exposing his arm and beads, and Evoku had snatched her long skirt on a branch, tearing it just an inch or two above her knees.
Kyou punched her shoulder, sending her into the tree behind her. When she hit, her glasses fell off her face and fell to the ground. He wrapped his hand around her throat and pinned her to the tree.
His eyes widened when he came face to face with her. It was the first time he'd ever seen her without her glasses, hair down, sweatshirt and long skirt. Her hair was matted to her face, it had been ripped down from her usual messy bun during the fight.
She was glaring at him, he was finally able to see her glare which before was hidden behind those thickly framed glasses. For the first time he noticed that she had striking pale blue eyes.
Suddenly an image flashed from his memory; the girl he'd seen in the backyard of the temple. It all began to add up in his brain; the star-shaped jewels under her left eye, the same martial arts techniques, the same glare… she was the same girl from the temple.
"It's you…" he whispered words that she never heard.
"I know what you are," she said abruptly, sending chills running up and down his spine. "You didn't think I knew did you?"
"How did y—"
"That night Souma-kun ran out of the house at dinner… I'm the one who was in the backyard… I'm the one who he chased away… I'm the one who saw you transform," she quickly explained. She quickly glanced down at his left wrist and spotted the black and white beads.
"You—" he stopped when she grasped his wrist.
"Is this what makes you change into that cute little cat?" she watched as a horrified look came across his face. "It is isn't it? You don't want me to take it off… do you?" She slowly began to slid it off his wrist.
"Iie!!" He yelled and in one swift movement he yanked his wrist away from her and pushed her down into the mud, holding her down by her hair, much like the way Akito had held Tohru when she went to see him. All but two jewels reverted back to the crystalline color in the blink of an eye.
"Gomen ne, Kyou! I didn't mean to hurt you, please don't hate me!" she begged, tears rolling down her face as the guilt she thought she could remove was suddenly doubled. "But you don't understand…" she choked back a sob.
"You don't know what I am… you don't want to know!" he yelled at her. She ignored what he said and continued what she was saying before.
"You don't understand…" she said, more tears beginning to flow. "When I found out that you were cursed that night… I thought I would be able to open up to you… tell you everything… but I can't tell you anything! I haven't told anyone! Not about you… or me…" she said, her voice suddenly getting softer. Kyou's grip around her hair had loosened severely, "…I've been cursed since birth... "
Kyou let go of her hair, letting her strands slip through his eyes widened in shock. This was something he was certainly not expecting. He stood there silent as she explained it all to him.
"My grandmother saved a man who fell from the sky into a lake and he fell in love with her. He stayed with her until he got his health back and one day he left to do something. When he came back he saw her kissing another man, breaking his heart.
You see… he was born an angel and that day he had gone back to heaven to give up his wings and immortality to be with her.
His god cursed her and her newly wed husband by saying that the next child to be born in their line would be cursed with instability and because of it no one would love the child, thinking that it would be thier own child. But what he didn't know was that she had already given birth to the angel's son and so the next child to be born… and cursed—"
"Was you," Kyou said for her, reaching down and giving her his hand and helping her up.
"I was cursed because she broke the heart of an angel…" she said finally looking up into his eyes. "From the second I was born I would have convulsions of personality changes, everything from an angel to a demon… my parents hated me and abandoned me at a temple where Ojiisan took me in… he knew why I had these fits and so he couldn't hate me like everyone else."
Kyou suddenly realized why she begged him not to hate her.
"He was my grandmother's husband, but I wasn't related to him by blood. He's been teaching me to control myself when my essence is released and I become more irrational. No one has ever been my friend or showed any signs of not hating me, but when I found out that you were cursed too and Souma-kun was actually talking to me, I thought I would finally have friends to smile and laugh with…"
Kyou picked up her bag and handed it to her, "as long as you don't tell… we won't have to erase your memory," he quickly changed the subject, "since these are special circumstances… you should probably go home and get some rest… it's been a long day."
He started to walk away leaving her with a saddened expression on her face. Just as she was thinking she'd lost another potential friend because of the curse, he turned around and looked at her.
"Don't come to school tomorrow dressed like you usually are…" he said. She was about to open her mouth to ask him what he meant when he interrupted her. "You look better like this," he uncharacteristically gave her a small smile and turned back around and headed home. Evoku felt the heat rushing to her cheeks and realized she was blushing from his compliment.
And suddenly it stopped raining…
//*\\
She's beautiful as usual with bruises on her ego and…
//*\\
Nekozuki – cat lover
Nani – what
Iie – no
Gomen ne – so sorry
Ojiisan – grandfather
Chapter 6
The rain splattered against the cold, hard pavement creating the effect of a black sea. Evoku waited outside on the sidewalk, not even noticing that the small tree she'd been standing over wasn't providing very good protection from the sudden downpour.
She watched with keen eyes at Yuki and Tohru left the school in a hurry in an attempt to get out of the rain. Tohru had a worried look plastered on her face, obviously thinking about Yuki's weak bronchi. She hoped that he wouldn't push himself too hard in order to get home.
Just as Evoku thought he would never appear, Kyou walked slowly out of the school and across the street under his white umbrella.
"I have to tell him," she thought, determined to admit her faults and try to lift the guilt that was weighing down her spirit. She followed him discreetly as he lagged behind the other two severely. Soon they were out of eyesight and Kyou was left behind to drag himself back home.
Kyou felt that he was being watched, but every time he would casually glance over his shoulder, all he saw were random people on the streets and a few students from his school. He saw Evoku but he figured she was just on her way home to finish her homework and study. He discreetly entered into the forest and sighed heavily, glad that he was now out of view of all the people in the city.
"Damnit… I hate when it rains…" he breathed, thankful for having an umbrella, but at the same time wanting to get home. Unfortunately, his sluggish behavior wasn't allowing him to go any faster.
He suddenly heard a small branch snap behind him. It wasn't a loud sound; in fact it would have been barely noticeable had he not had the feeling that someone was following him. He could feel eyes burning into his back, watching him. He could sense the person directly behind him and he cursed himself for not being more aware.
He suddenly turned around, fist ready to pummel whoever was being a nuisance, especially since he already wasn't feeling very active and feisty. He quickly stopped himself when he saw Evoku with a shocked expression on her face. Three jewels suddenly turned deep blue.
"Hikari… what the hell are you doing here?" he asked, suddenly both confused and frustrated.
"I could ask you the very same thing," she cocked an eyebrow and crossed her arms. She glanced towards his fist that was still in midair. "Put that away before you hurt yourself…"
"That's pretty big talk for someone who nearly got her ass kicked in a library!" he growled. Two more jewels deepened to the dark blue, Kyou too blinded by his rage to notice.
"Oh yes, thank goodness that the all powerful Nekozuki came to my rescue," she said sarcastically, "too bad your cousin surpasses you in every aspect."
"I've never hit a girl, but you're walking on thin ice!" he threatened.
"Nani? Do you think I can't handle it?"
"You're not even a challenge you're so weak," he smirked when he saw her narrowing her eyes at him from behind her thickly framed glasses. Another three jewels converted and this time Kyou noticed it, his eye twitched in confusion. "Nani?"
"Let's test that theory," she suddenly lashed out, streaking her fist through the air nailing him straight in the jaw. He instinctively used his momentum and kicked out at her side.
"Are you crazy?!" he yelled at her while she picked herself off the floor, chuckling softly to herself. Another two jewels had slipped into the blue color.
"Not bad," she looked up at him, "but I can do better…" she launched herself towards him.
Before either of them knew what was going on, they found themselves engrossed in a battle. Almost even matched, they continued into the rain as it poured harder down on them. Kyou did have an advantage over her, stronger and more experience, but she was agile and faster. He noted that several of the moves she was producing were similar, if not exact, to the ones he'd seen the young girl use the day before at her temple.
As Evoku spun around to deliver a kick to his side, Kyou grasped the back of her sweatshirt, stopping her from her attack. She slipped out of the now soaking wet sweatshirt and dropped down into the mud before kicking her leg up and nailing him under his chin.
"Nice move," he spat and wiped the blood that was now trickling down his chin.
"Shut up and fight," she said as they both stood from the mud and charged towards each other, ensuing the fight again. Sometime during the fight, Kyou had ripped his left sleeve, exposing his arm and beads, and Evoku had snatched her long skirt on a branch, tearing it just an inch or two above her knees.
Kyou punched her shoulder, sending her into the tree behind her. When she hit, her glasses fell off her face and fell to the ground. He wrapped his hand around her throat and pinned her to the tree.
His eyes widened when he came face to face with her. It was the first time he'd ever seen her without her glasses, hair down, sweatshirt and long skirt. Her hair was matted to her face, it had been ripped down from her usual messy bun during the fight.
She was glaring at him, he was finally able to see her glare which before was hidden behind those thickly framed glasses. For the first time he noticed that she had striking pale blue eyes.
Suddenly an image flashed from his memory; the girl he'd seen in the backyard of the temple. It all began to add up in his brain; the star-shaped jewels under her left eye, the same martial arts techniques, the same glare… she was the same girl from the temple.
"It's you…" he whispered words that she never heard.
"I know what you are," she said abruptly, sending chills running up and down his spine. "You didn't think I knew did you?"
"How did y—"
"That night Souma-kun ran out of the house at dinner… I'm the one who was in the backyard… I'm the one who he chased away… I'm the one who saw you transform," she quickly explained. She quickly glanced down at his left wrist and spotted the black and white beads.
"You—" he stopped when she grasped his wrist.
"Is this what makes you change into that cute little cat?" she watched as a horrified look came across his face. "It is isn't it? You don't want me to take it off… do you?" She slowly began to slid it off his wrist.
"Iie!!" He yelled and in one swift movement he yanked his wrist away from her and pushed her down into the mud, holding her down by her hair, much like the way Akito had held Tohru when she went to see him. All but two jewels reverted back to the crystalline color in the blink of an eye.
"Gomen ne, Kyou! I didn't mean to hurt you, please don't hate me!" she begged, tears rolling down her face as the guilt she thought she could remove was suddenly doubled. "But you don't understand…" she choked back a sob.
"You don't know what I am… you don't want to know!" he yelled at her. She ignored what he said and continued what she was saying before.
"You don't understand…" she said, more tears beginning to flow. "When I found out that you were cursed that night… I thought I would be able to open up to you… tell you everything… but I can't tell you anything! I haven't told anyone! Not about you… or me…" she said, her voice suddenly getting softer. Kyou's grip around her hair had loosened severely, "…I've been cursed since birth... "
Kyou let go of her hair, letting her strands slip through his eyes widened in shock. This was something he was certainly not expecting. He stood there silent as she explained it all to him.
"My grandmother saved a man who fell from the sky into a lake and he fell in love with her. He stayed with her until he got his health back and one day he left to do something. When he came back he saw her kissing another man, breaking his heart.
You see… he was born an angel and that day he had gone back to heaven to give up his wings and immortality to be with her.
His god cursed her and her newly wed husband by saying that the next child to be born in their line would be cursed with instability and because of it no one would love the child, thinking that it would be thier own child. But what he didn't know was that she had already given birth to the angel's son and so the next child to be born… and cursed—"
"Was you," Kyou said for her, reaching down and giving her his hand and helping her up.
"I was cursed because she broke the heart of an angel…" she said finally looking up into his eyes. "From the second I was born I would have convulsions of personality changes, everything from an angel to a demon… my parents hated me and abandoned me at a temple where Ojiisan took me in… he knew why I had these fits and so he couldn't hate me like everyone else."
Kyou suddenly realized why she begged him not to hate her.
"He was my grandmother's husband, but I wasn't related to him by blood. He's been teaching me to control myself when my essence is released and I become more irrational. No one has ever been my friend or showed any signs of not hating me, but when I found out that you were cursed too and Souma-kun was actually talking to me, I thought I would finally have friends to smile and laugh with…"
Kyou picked up her bag and handed it to her, "as long as you don't tell… we won't have to erase your memory," he quickly changed the subject, "since these are special circumstances… you should probably go home and get some rest… it's been a long day."
He started to walk away leaving her with a saddened expression on her face. Just as she was thinking she'd lost another potential friend because of the curse, he turned around and looked at her.
"Don't come to school tomorrow dressed like you usually are…" he said. She was about to open her mouth to ask him what he meant when he interrupted her. "You look better like this," he uncharacteristically gave her a small smile and turned back around and headed home. Evoku felt the heat rushing to her cheeks and realized she was blushing from his compliment.
And suddenly it stopped raining…
//*\\
She's beautiful as usual with bruises on her ego and…
//*\\
Nekozuki – cat lover
Nani – what
Iie – no
Gomen ne – so sorry
Ojiisan – grandfather