Hi! Before I would do anything that would most likely kill you (because I left you guys hanging on the last chapter… LOL~!), I would like to say something first.

This is the eleventh chapter, by the way, to remind you. And, truthfully, I wouldn't be able to write this far without the reviewers who truly inspired me to write more. To mention, these are Alexandra-Kyoko, Runic, Mistress of Darkness, Bluefire, Hurricane's Sidekick, Blue Tiger, my good friend HakuKumo and the rest of the reviews.

I wouldn't also forget snow blossoms and the rest of the anonymous reviewers who were also there *sniff*. I wish I could do better but my progress is slow and my imagination is frail. My friends said that I should quit writing because I really suck in grammar but you guys were there… Thank you very much *bows like Tohru*

Ne, Let's get going shall we?

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Tohru woke up in a familiar bed at a familiar place. She slowly sat up and rubbed her eyes. She looked around again. She couldn't believe it.

"Glad to be back here, ne?" Kagura entered the room. The goddess looked at her and was somewhat surprised.

"I'm… not in Aya-san's house anymore?" she asked.

"Permanently, yes." The boar replied. "But you almost scared us, especially Yuki. He carried you all the way from there. He said that you collapsed after saying that Aya was gone or something."

She looked at Kagura. "Where is he? Where's Aya-san?"

"He's back at the shop, weaving the dress you wore. It ripped off after you fell, they say. Also, because Yuki's clumsiness, there's tea stains on that dress."

"Oh no! I should go apologize!" Tohru stood up and went towards the door.

"No, you don't need to! Yuki already……… man, she's fast…" she giggled. After a few moments, Kyou appeared on the doorway.

"My beloved KYOU-KUNNNNNNNNNNNN!!!!" She quickly shifted her mood to a flirty one. "I've been looking all over for---"

"Did you tell her?" he quickly asked. She stopped for a moment.

"No, I think it would worry her more." The boar replied.

"I see. Don't tell her okay?" He was about to leave when Kagura grabbed his hand.

"DO you believe Ayame?" she asked. "That what he say was…"

"I don't know, Kagura-san." He looked at her. "But I think this criminal is a person we know a long time ago."

"Kyou-kun…"

"We have a sun guardian with us. Why worry?" He hugged her loosely. "Don't worry, as long nobody mentions to her on what happen to Ayame, we won't be touched……"

"I hope you're right…

Ayame sat up on his bed that day. She kept his head tucked between his knees and thought about what happened that time. It happened so fast but…

Yes, it happened after Tohru left the room to get some tea…

He chuckled after she left. "She didn't notice that she's still wearing the dress." He whispered.

"She looked so good on that…" a voice came. He turned around and saw a person standing near him. He wore a dark cloth with a hood so his face was hidden but still, the voice was familiar to Ayame's ears.

"I'm impressed… that a snake could do such masterpiece…"

"Who are you???" Ayame asked.

"Why should I answer that question… when you already know who I am?" the stranger replied in an exhausting voice.

"It can't be…" his eyes became a bit blurry all of the sudden. "You can't be…"

"I'm back, Ayame, to finish what I started…to finish what I planned just before Celeste ascended… and left me here to die…" he croaked.

"Don't… get near her…" the snake blurted out. "If you're the… criminal that they mentioned… you should be… you should run now… once that guardian knew you're here…"

"Are you warning me… that I'm helpless before them?" He asked then laughed eventually. He slowly walked towards Ayame. "Tell me, if they're more powerful than I am, then why am I here? They're the ones who haunt me, Ayame, because I'm dangerous… and they believe that I can harm their homeland by just calling it out… so they want me dead…"

"You…"

"I can see that the sun guardian isn't here… so that means…" the stranger approached the door but Ayame stood up and blocked his path.

"I won't allow you to touch her," he took a deep breath and yelled at the stranger, "and I won't allow you to pass, Akito-san!"

The stranger grinned at him. "Ayame, you still look pathetic… whatever you say, in my eyes, you're a snake… and I'm a god…" he raised his hand and casted a spell on Ayame, making him collapse on the floor…

Before the snake lost consciousness, he saw a bright light and a woman came and stood in front of him.

"In the name of Helios, god of the sun, I order you to surrender, Angel of Death!" the woman yelled.

"Ahh, Mildred, I didn't notice that you're---"

"Never speak another word! Under the orders of the high palace, I can execute you if it's needed!" Uo yelled once more.

"I hate it when I need to take a detour…" he raised his hand to cast a spell but he felt himself being thrown back on the floor.

A dark cloud was formed inside the room and another woman appeared. She wore black suit and a velvet cloak. A crest of the moon was found on her chest and she carried a snake staff, which glowed as she stared at the criminal.

"Darkness called during the day…. A very inappropriate prediction…" she whispered.

"You were also sent???" the stranger asked.

"I won't let you touch the princess, criminal…" the moon guardian said in a low voice. "Leave this place immediately… for I will spare your life…"

The criminal disappeared and both women found themselves staring at the man on the floor.

"Don't be afraid…" Uo whispered. "We're here to protect her…"

"Rest, mortal…" the other whispered. "You're in good hands…"

Then, this was when Ayame lost consciousness…

…and this also was the exact time when Tohru collapsed and lost consciousness…

"I hope I could talk to you now." Hatori entered the room. "Are you okay, Aya-san?"

"Hatori? What are doing here in my house?" Ayame asked.

The doctor chuckled at his cousin's "joke". "Actually, you're resting in my bed. You're in my house."

"Ahh…" Ayame laughed after he said that. "Sorry, I didn't notice but… what am I doing here?"

"I can explain that." A voice came and Uotani appeared in a flash.

"How did you do that?" Ayame asked.

"I got used to that… teleportation thing… but once Tohru is here, she'll be furious. Anyway, what you saw back there was the criminal that we tried to catch." The sun guardian explained. "He casted a charm on you… probably paralysis… but you're fine now. We asked this kind doctor to treat you well, after he arrived for Tohru…"

"Why? What happened to her?"

"Princess collapsed because she felt danger near her. She's really not used to have criminals around." She again explained. "This Yuki called him after she collapsed. She's fine now… and you are also, too."

"They carried you here because the criminal might leave some curses on your place. They're checking it out, just to be careful." Hatori said. "Once they're finished, you can go back to your home. But, in the meantime, make yourself at home."

"Thanks, Tori-san…"

"I'll leave you two here." She looked at Ayame. "That was a brave thing you did back there. I'm impressed. I guess Tohru was right about the Sohmas. You are all treating her well…"

"It was really nothing…"

"But… it was a bit suicidal… to stand against… him." Uo said sadly.

"Why?" Hatori asked. "What did that guy do that made him dangerous?"

"I'm… not sure if I'm the right person to tell you that…" she whispered. "But please, remain calm. Since there are two guardians here on earth and beside the princess, there's nothing to worry about…"

"Thank you…"

"Don't mention it." Then the guardian disappeared.

"SO…" Ayame looked at his cousin. "What are you trying to tell me?"

"Does this criminal… looked and sounded familiar?" the doctor asked.

"Yes… he did sounded like…"

"Don't say the name…" Hatori looked away. "I know what you're trying to say…"

"But if he's really here…then Tohru…"

"We'll protect her, Ayame… if it's the best thing we should do…" Hatori whispered.

"WHERE IS TOHRU?!"

"Yuki, don't repeat the same thing that you did!" Kagura yelled.

"Yes, I know but…" Yuki looked away. "I just want her to be with us tonight. We can't just eat something that she cooked when she's not here."

"Ahh, our cousin has a point!" Shigure thought. "Everyone, spread out! We need to find our beloved Tohru!"

Everyone searched around the house… everyone except Yuki…

He had a feeling that Tohru was outside, so he went out to see.

He was lucky enough to see her… on the roof?!

"TOH---RU!!!" he called out. "Dinner's ready! What are you doing up there!?" She seemed to ignore him or haven't heard him so he decided to go to her.

"Darn… I told really want to go to the roof… I may sound like baka neko." He finally finished climbing and approached her cautiously. "Ne, Tohru, you shouldn't be up here all by yourself. What if something happens to you?"

Tohru looked at him silently. Did I just say something wrong? Yuki thought for a while.

"What I'm trying to say is that you should take somebody with you." He said softly. "Your life is nearly in danger, Tohru. This criminal is hunting you and---"

"I understand, Yuki." She whispered. "That's what my mother used to say to me…"

"Eh?"

"To tell you the truth, I wasn't really allowed to go back here on Earth… because they're afraid that I might experience the same thing...under the same people. But ever since that criminal escaped, they were forced to send me here for safe keeping… that I might get away from that stranger." She explained. "But it turned out that he kept on following me until here…"

"Tohru-kun…" he sat down beside her. "I don't know how I could help but as long as you're here with the rest of the Sohmas, we will try our best to protect you."

"Thank you, Yuki…" she smiled at him.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Yes, of course…"

"Is this criminal… someone we know?" Yuki asked. She looked away from him.

"I-I don't really know…" she stuttered.

"Tohru-kun…"

"I'm fine." She said quickly. "I just sat up here to think… about what had happened…"

He sighed in relief. "Are you sure you're alright?"

"Yes, I am… Please go back inside and tell the others not to worry about me, ok?"

"I don't think so…"

"EH?"

He smiled at her. "I'll accompany you here, if you don't mind."

"But… aren't you hungry?"

"I kind of lost my appetite… and besides, I want to spend some time… with you. A week has passed, remember?" he said.

She laughed heartily. "Yes, I guess so… so what do you want to talk about?"

It's been a while since I talked to him…and he's nice to talk with…

I hope it's always like this…

I hope we will have a good time from now on…

Even if I'm forbidden to…