Author's Note: Here we are, caught up to where the real fun begins. Touya angst anyone? Well, of course! Why else would you be here? ~laughs~ (Of course, if I were Peacewish I'd have to wait another chapter to get to the good angst...this is only chapter six after all, not seven.)

Thank you reviewers! A lot of you ended up reviewing the last two chapters one right after the other...cool! So, thank you! L-chan, Peacewish, Kira, AtomBunny, Lady Kazune Kikenshi, Askani Blue, and _____, you guys are so awesome! (Nameless reviews are so hard though! I want to thank people specifically, but I can't when there's nothing there. But, at least they're not reviewing just in hopes that I'll mention them, so I guess it's good...but still! Eeep! Thank you though!)

Shades of Discovery

Torn

My ankle was still tender a week later, but I didn't push myself, so it was healing quickly. I was off my feet for only a couple of days, and Sakura had driven me insane with insisting she should help with every little thing. She'd spout apologies for what seemed like no reason...and I finally realized she felt responsible for me getting hurt. The first time I'd thought she was playing a prank. After all, how could she know why I had fallen?

After a while though, I started wondering if there had been a reason I didn't know of that the spirit had taken my sister's form. Things had been nagging at me about Sakura lately. Things I couldn't explain. I could feel that her own magical powers were growing extremely rapidly lately, but that could just be her age. Or, it could be something else.

Especially if that spirit had chosen her form for a reason other than to trick me.

Speaking of Sakura....

"It doesn't look like she's been home at all today."

Dad had arrived home at almost the same time I had. I'd been a little bit upset when I was taking my shoes off and wasn't welcomed by the scents or sounds of supper cooking. I frowned, turning on lights through the house that shouldn't have been off if Sakura was home. The television in her room was on though and she had left her light on before leaving for school obviously, but her backpack wasn't there, or at least her school books. Just her stuffed animal propped up as if it were watching the stupid show that was playing.

I strode in and turned the television off, frowning. Had she left all this on all day? It was just like her though. I left the light on and the door open in case I'd need it to look for clues again, then went downstairs.

"Her backpack isn't in her room." I frowned, knowing without a doubt that she hadn't been home yet today. Where could she be?

"I'll call the school."

I double checked the board. Sakura had written right there that she would be early because there was no practice. I was starting to get worried, and as I heard Dad talking on the phone I only got more worried. He didn't sound like he was getting answers. Or, not the right ones. He finally set the phone down and shared the bad news. "They said she left the school at the normal time."

"I'll go look around," I volunteered. I couldn't sit around and do nothing. Part of me was sure she was safe. Another part of me kept playing the worst parts of the news through my mind where little girls were kidnapped and terrible things happened to them. Things that only made me want to run out of the house faster. "Dad, you stay here in case she calls."

"Be careful," he called after me. He didn't debate with me about who would go out. He didn't say a word about how I was ordering him around when he was supposed to be the parent. Of course not. He was too--

I shook my head as I raced out the door. Sakura had probably just gone off to a friend's house and lost track of time. Maybe I'd find her at the park. Maybe I'd find her mooning for Yuki in front of his house, too scared to approach his door.

Maybe I'd find her at Tsukimine Jinja.

The thought came out of no where as I pedaled, and I realized I was already heading in that direction without thinking about it. I didn't want to go there. I hated how the memories kept coming back to me every time I set foot there, and about the only time I'd gone there willingly had been for the New Year. That was different though. That had never been about Kaho. But going there any other time somehow had been.

So I didn't want to go there now.

I was drawn there though. I didn't have a choice it seemed. It couldn't hurt to check, though I wasn't sure what she'd be doing there. If I got it out of the way I could start searching places where she actually would be, then I could tell myself I was obsessed and just drop it. Put it all behind me. Laugh about it later.

As I drew closer though, I knew I wouldn't be laughing.

She was there. Something was going on. She was...trapped? I paused, trying to see if my intuition would reveal anything further, but there were too many things going on at once there. I couldn't know what was going on. Feelings...just feeling. Impressions that were fleeting and more often than not confusing.

If she was trapped, what was I doing standing here thinking about?

I jumped off my bike, abandoning it on the sidewalk as I raced to find her.

"Sakura!"

And she was simply standing there with her friends. She smiled happily, innocently at me. "Onii-chan!"

"What are you doing?!"

"I--I got a little lost," she explained. She finally looked like she realized she might be in trouble. "And then, Mizuki-sensei...."

She kept talking, but my ears stopped hearing.

Mizuki-sensei?

My brain froze, crystallizing around that one thing. Mizuki-sensei. Oh, Kami-sama, please tell me that my sister did not just say--

She was standing right there, with her back turned to me, and I hadn't seen her because I'd been so worried about Sakura. She turned around now and there was no mistaking that beautiful mane of exotic red hair, or that delicious creamy white skin, or that maddeningly kind smile that always made her entire face--no, her entire body--glow with an inner light.

"A lot was happening. Don't scold her, please."

That voice. So kind, soft, haunting...well, it had haunted my dreams anyway. I'd almost forgotten-- "Kaho."

She smiled wider. "You've grown, Touya."

She was back. She was back and she was standing right there, and she was here, now, of all times for her to return, just when I was going to--

I hated her. After all she had done, I had a right. I hated what she'd done. I'd been in misery, and now that misery was about to start all over again and I hated her.

Didn't I?

No, I didn't.

My nightmare had just begun.

~~~~~@~~~~~

"Did you know that Sakura has a new teacher?"

I grunted, shrugging, then looked off in the distance again.

Yuki tried again. "We met her this morning. I was surprised to see Sakura up and around so early in the morning, but it was nice to help her teacher clean--"

"Yes, yes, Kaho is the only daughter there. She helps with a lot of the duties at Tsukimine Jinja."

I turned to see the surprise on his face. It turned into a teasing smile that set me on edge. "Kaho, is it? You already know her pretty well then?"

I ignored him.

"To-ya?"

"Hmmm?"

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing."

"To-ya?"

"Just, don't ask."

I was looking away again. I hadn't eaten breakfast. I was picking at my lunch.

"To-ya, are you going to eat that?"

"Probably not."

I didn't move to hand it to him though, as I usually would.

He finally moved closer on his own, pulling my food off of my lap, then he sat directly in front of me. I opened my mouth to ask him what he was doing, but found it full of food. I didn't really taste it, just chewed and swallowed automatically so I could ask him. As soon as my mouth was clear he did it again though. And again.

"You look hungry, To-ya. You look tired and drained beyond reason, so if you won't take care of yourself I suppose I'll have to do it for you."

I shook my head, warding off another bite of food. "I'm fine, Yuki. Just a little distracted."

"You've been getting moodier lately, and you aren't talking to me."

It was true, but this was beyond moody. This was something else entirely. When I thought about confronting Yuki about whatever secrets he was carrying now, I almost laughed at how small it seemed. Now I had a new set of problems.

My legs were stretched out in front of me and Yuki decided to straddle my knees. He had his mischievous grin and wicked glint in his eyes as he leaned closer.

"W-what are you doing?"

"I'm getting ready to threaten you. Lighten up, or I'll start tickling you. It's been too long since the last time you smiled, and I'm worried that your face has frozen that way."

It couldn't be frozen that way because I knew my face was reflecting the shock I felt. Only the shock though because I was trying very hard not to show anything else I was feeling. I didn't want him to see the nervousness or

Or...

(When we meet again...)

"Yuki? I...."

"Not going to smile? Fine, prepare to be tickled!"

He was serious?! He leaned closer and closer and my eyes grew wider and wider as he did. He was moving so slowly at first, but I couldn't move. I just couldn't.

Then his grin grew to new levels and I was being viciously attacked by my best friend. He knew exactly where to get me and how hard, and I couldn't catch his hands to stop him. I was soon laughing too hard to tell him to stop.

And it turned from tickling into--into....

We were panting, I was smiling, and it was okay.

But he was sitting on my lap.

I didn't want to do a thing to make that stop.

But his eyes were getting wider, and suddenly neither of us were smiling and

(When we meet again...)

I shivered. "Okay, okay, you win. Can you stand up now? It's almost time to return to class."

He looked dazed as he stood.

I probably looked just as dazed.

What was going on between us?

What was it that Kaho had said that kept nagging the back of my mind?

I knew I should remember. I felt it was important.

But thinking about her again only made me want to fall into myself and never come out.

"To-ya, what's wrong?"

I shook my head. I hated that I was undoing what had almost been done between us. He looked almost betrayed when he realized his tickling ploy had only been good for a few moments.

I guiltily thought that maybe he had a reason to feel betrayed. I needed to sort out my heart. I needed to decide.

What did I still feel for her?

What was I feeling for him?