A/N: I am finally free, so I can write! Yeah! Thanks for saying with my little story.

Disclaimer: When I tell people that I like Fruits Basket, they give me strange looks since they think it means something naughty. So if I owned it, I would have made the name sound a bit less naughty.

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~~Visit Shadows~~

Shigure was sitting in his office when Mari wandered in and whispered something into his ear. After a few moments of thought, Shigure nodded to his daughter who put on a small smile. "Just don't tell the others," Shigure whispered to his little girl. "I'll tell them about it tomorrow before we go."

"'K." Mari climbed up to sit on her father's lap and watched him as he typed up the end of the chapter he was currently working on. He kissed the top of Mari's head and placed her on the floor.

"How about we go for a walk to the city?"

"Oh! Can we?"

"Yep. Let's get your coat. It's getting cold for the evening."

Then, hand in hand, father and daughter left for a quiet walk among the stars, laughing and treasuring the time they spent together. The pains of the past and the uncertainty of the future never crossed their minds; only the joyfulness of the present.

But.

How long would this joyfulness last? Will it ever run out? Are the paths of this dog and this cat forever cursed or for once with this cat provide enough luck for the both of them to help them keep on going on?

Shigure and Mari never thought of these questions. Only the one known as Kyou-kun did. In his mind, terrible thoughts of the cats from the past ran through his mind. He prayed that Mari would never have these pains or cause them upon anyone else. It worried his thoughts, his way of life. and he hated it. He knew that if Shigure and Mari never worried, why should he? Why should he always carry the weight that the others never felt?!

"Because I am the horrible cat," Kyou muttered out loud. "The cats before me never caused anyone any pain. so why do I?"

"Kyou-kun, you know that's not true." Kyou looked up sharply to see Tohru standing by his doorway. "I'm so sorry for eavesdropping, but if this is how you truly feel, you should talk to someone."

Kyou looked at Tohru and then placed his head into his hands. "I mustn't make her worry," he thought. "She'll get overworked and make herself sick again." He then put on a weak smile. "Everything is fine Tohru. Nothing is wrong."

Tohru shock her head from side to side. "No; you're worried about Mari, aren't you?"

Kyou wouldn't look at Tohru. He just stared at a spot on the floor.

"It's natural to be worried. She hides everything so well, but she has you to look up to. And Shigure-san helps her--"

"You don't understand!" Kyou raised his voice and Tohru bit her lip. Kyou stood up so he was at eye level with Tohru. "How can you not see it?!"

"Kyou-kun--"

Kyou's anger got the best of him and he took Tohru by the shoulders. He started breathing heavily and looked right into Tohru's frightened eyes. For a few moments, that's how they stood. Then Tohru placed her hand against Kyou's cheek, gently. Kyou didn't pull back; he just placed his own hand on top of hers.

Then he cried.

Kyou cried.

Tohru wanted to embrace him to try to comfort him, but she knew that that could never happen. So she let his head rest against her shoulder. Then Kyou surprised Tohru by embracing her in a hug. The white cloud of transformation came upon the both of them and when it cleared, Kyou was sitting in Tohru's lap, still crying.

Tohru held close the orange cat and the two sat in silence. She knew what he was thinking. "He worries so much about Mari," she thought. "He worries so much about her and her future. Is he trying to make sure that she doesn't end up with the hatred that he grew up with?"

The cat got up and quietly thanked Tohru before walking out. Tohru continued sitting on the floor when Yuki walked in.

"Honda-san?"

"Oh, Sohma-sama."

"What seems to be the matter?" Yuki then spotted Kyou's clothes on the floor. "What did that damn cat do to you?!"

"It's nothing Sohma-sama. Kyou-kun was just feeling really horrible and worried about Mari and Shigure-san so Honda-san had to comfort him."

"You sure it's nothing?"

Tohru nodded gently. "Kyou-kun just needs some time to think everything through." Then from the next room the white smoke appeared.

Yuki gathered up Kyou's clothes. "I'll give these to him."

"Arigato Sohma-sama."

Then after, the house remained silent until Mari and her father returned. Kyou greeted them first.

"Kyou! I saweded a firefly!"

"Really?"

"It was all glowy and really pretty."

Kyou looked at Shigure, who was smiling at his daughter. When they caught each other's eye, Shigure nodded at Kyou, as if answering his unasked question.

"Come on Mari. How about I make you a cup of tea?"

"'K!" Mari followed her older cousin into the kitchen. Shigure stood by the door and smiled at the two cats.

"Shigure?"

Shigure looked up to see Yuki standing in front of him. "Yes?"

"Is this Kyou's second chance at life as well?"

Shigure looked at Kyou, who was laughing along with Mari as she described how she tripped while chasing a firefly, and nodded at Yuki.

"Kyou's second chance is just starting now."

~~Next Day~~

Shigure and Mari rose in the morning earlier than the others and were about to leave when the others awoke.

"Shigure? Where are you going to early in the morning? It's not like you to get up this earlier," Yuki questioned.

Shigure felt Mari tighten her grip on his hand. "Well," he started. "Mari asked me if we could visit her mother's grave today since she wanted to leave some flowers for her."

Silence

Shigure cleared his throat. "Well, we'll be back by this evening, depending on how long the subway takes." The two started to turn when Kyou stopped them.

"Wait. I need to give you something."

Kyou ran towards his room and came back with an envelope. "Open this and read it when you get to the grave. Then you can burn the letter at her grave." He handed the envelope to Shigure who tucked it into his bag.

"Arigato." Kyou then knelled to Mari's level and Mari gave Kyou a hug.

"I'll tell mommy that you said hello okay?" Mari was silent and then whispered something to her father. Shigure whispered to Kyou and Kyou nodded then went to get ready. Mari turned to Yuki and Tohru.

"I want mommy to meet Kyou to show her that just cuz you're a cat that it doesn't mean you're all alone and no one likes you. Is that okay with you two?"

Tohru have Mari a kiss on the forehead. "Of course. I think that it's wonderful for you to show your mother Kyou-kun."

Yuki nodded his approval and smiled slightly at Shigure. Kyou was now ready and the three were off.

It was a pretty long ride since Mari's mother family wanted her to be buried near them out far into the mountains. The ride was mainly in silence, since no one really knew what to say to each other. When they finally reached the grave, Mari placed her flowers on her mother's grave and started talking to her.

"Look mommy; I came to see you. See, I'm so happy right now with daddy and everyone from his family, I wish you could be here too." Mari pulled out a picture frame from inside her coat. "I had daddy make a copy of this picture so you can keep it with you."

Kyou looked at the picture that Mari had placed on her mother's grave. It was taken the last time Shigure had seen Mari and her mother before she died. The three of them were sitting on a bench in a park and everyone happy. Kyou noticed how young Mari's mother had looked. She had blonde hair that softly surrounded her face and huge light blue eyes. She had her hand resting gently on Shigure's and Mari was leaning against her father. If her hadn't known better, he would have thought that this was a normal family; one that never saw any pain.

Kyou looked over towards Shigure saw that he was fighting back tears as he heard Mari tell her mother everything that has been happening to her over the past few months.

" .And then daddy bought me a new doll named Kyuri and once when Uncle Ayame came over he turned into a snake and she rode on him. It was so much fun. I wish you could have been there to sees it. I knowed you would like everyone on daddy's side of family. They are all so nice to me and they woulded have been nice to you too. "

And Mari continued talking. She didn't want to stop. "Mommy," she said. "Why did you go? Was it because of me? I hopeded it was not. You would like to see me now. I'm not afraid anymore. I don't hide from everything. I want to knowed more about everything." She grabbed Kyou's hand. "See mommy? This is Kyou. He's my favoriteist cousin ever. You know what? He's a cat too! Just like me! And he's happy and has friends and family to turn to. Daddy takes care of him too, just like he's taking care of me now."

Tears

"I wish you didn't have to go mommy. I want you to be happy with us."

Tears

"They said I couldn't see you anymore, but you know what? I still see you. Everyday. You still sing songs to me and play with me and talk to me when I don't know what to do."

Tears

"And daddy says you still talk to him too. So can you pleawse keep talking to us? You help us even though you're gone."

Mari hunched over the grave and started to cry even harder. Shigure tried to fight back his own tears of pain and held his daughter against his chest as he started to cry himself. Kyou let a tear escape from him as well and just stood in silence as he watched the fallen, broken family tried to make sense of the world around them.

After a few minutes, Shigure's face was tear stricken and red and Mari was still slightly whimpering.

"Kyou, I need to talk to Mari's mother alone for awhile. Would you mind. ?"

"No problem. I understand." Kyou picked up Mari and went slightly down the path and held Mari close to his heart.

"Mari," Kyou thought. "I'll be here for you all the time. I'll never leave you. You're more than Shigure's kid to me. You're like my own kid."

Shigure collected his thoughts and straighten the picture and flowers his little girl had place before him.

"I never thought I'd been standing here, talking to you like this already. I was hoping to wait quiet a few more years. But can't be mad at you. You know that. I could never get mad at you. I've loved you ever since I first met you." Shigure ran his hand through his hair and stood in silence as the wind blew around him.

"But I guess it's finally time I told you everything; everything I ever wanted to tell you."

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I was going to go on with this chapter, but I can't. I have to think about it more. I am such a horrible author, allowing Shigure to suffer like this. And Mari. She's three. Damn it. Three! I never meant for this story to get so dark. I knew I wanted to it be dramatic, but wow. I didn't expect it to get so, cruel to Mari, Shigure, and Kyou. But that's what you do when you write; the story gets the best of you and runs away. (Slaps self on cheek for making the characters suffer so much) Okay. That's better. So thanks for staying with the story and everything and the next section should come soon and don't worry; I didn't forget Kyou's letter. Until later, D-Yai.