Seeking Solace
The Eyes of an Onigiri

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Honda Tohru, a sixteen year old with a bright smile, walked down the hall, heading towards her classroom. She wanted to meet Uo-chan and Hana-chan, who were the best friends she has ever known. The hallways were unusually crowded, so she had to manoeuver around people carefully. She quickened her pace as she passed Prince Yuki's fan club. She couldn't remember any reason for them to hate her, but they would always give her deathly glares. Luckily, they didn't notice her that day - they were much too busy fawning over the Prince himself.

The Prince looked disinterested, you could even say bored to be in their company. He would smile at them, but his gaze looked right through them. Tohru noticed that his deep purple eyes had lost some of their lustre. She didn't know how she knew, but something was definitely different about him. He caught her looking at him, and he seemed to smile genuinely at her. He quickly looked away and continued the dry conversation he was having with Motoko, the leader of the Princesses, Yuki's "official" fan club.

Okaa-san, my life seems so strange since you've been gone. I've lived outside, sleeping in a tent. I know that I stopped living out there for some reason, but why was that? There seems to be some time, a few weeks maybe, which I cannot seem to remember for the life of me. A piece of me is missing, I know it. Uo and Hana think I'm acting different too, but I'll try to adapt. I don't want them to worry about me. What am I missing? I have my part time job, and soon I'll be able to get my own place. Maybe I'll be able to find an inexpensive room to rent. I wonder where I stayed before? It sure is a mystery. I can't give up hope, I know the answers will come to me. You've always told me to do my best, no matter what.

"Oy, Tohru!"

Tohru nearly jumped out of her skin, she had been so wrapped up in her thoughts. She had found her way to the classroom. "Ah, Uo-chan! You surprised me." She waved to her tall blonde friend, who was clad in her gang's facial mask that day.

"Are you alright, Tohru-chan? You seem a little... distressed today." Hanajima's voice was smooth and calm, but Tohru could tell that she was full of worry.

"Don't worry about me, it's nothing. Really!" Tohru insisted. She changed the subject, and the three discussed the coming exams. While they talked, the classroom started to fill with students; school was about to start.

The bell had already rung, but one student was late that day. There was a loud bang at the door, and the closest boy opened it. "You're late again, Kyon-kyon." He teased with a laugh. "Don't you ever call me that." The red headed boy glared at him, stomped to his seat and sat down.

He grumbled in his chair, mumbling about having to eat a very crisp breakfast and having no milk. The teacher coughed loudly and he shut up.

The teacher gave them an assignment, and once there was a lull in his lecture, Tohru turned around in her seat to talk to Uo. "Uo-chan, who was that who was late for class? Is he a new student here?"

Uotani gave her friend an amused look and laughed. "Tohru, I think you've been studying too much lately. That's Kyou, of course. He's been here for a few weeks now." Hana didn't laugh, she kept quiet and thought to herself, 'Tohru hasn't been talking to Kyou or Yuki recently....their electric waves seem to be lacking energy. Something is peculiar.'

"Oh, that's right, I remember now," Tohru lied with a little laugh. "How could I forget?" Hana frowned, and continued to work on an assignment.

Several rows behind and to the left, Kyou leaned back in his chair and sighed. Tohru truly didn't remember ever having met the Sohma's. She only knew that Yuki was the Prince of their highschool. She didn't even remember the day that they she had met Kyou. Akito's Ultimatum. He had decreed that Tohru knew far too much about the Sohma family, much more than any outsider had ever known. At first, he allowed her to continue living at Shigure's house, but he grew weary of her as he realized that she had found a place in even the coldest of the juunishi's hearts. He ordered Hatori to erase her memory. Akito said that she couldn't be anything to them; she was merely seeking solace in their "warmth". Like a lost little puppy. Nothing more.

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Author Notes:
First chapter; Uploaded April 16th 2003.
I do not own the rights to any of the characters mentioned in this fan fiction.

Language Translations:
Okaa-san - mother