I don't think this chapter has to be R rated, I changed it however just to be on the safe side.

Chapter III: Everlasting Scars

Yuki wasn't sure if he should enter, after all there were other places. He took a deep breath, just calm down, he told himself. He opened the door and a bell could be heard. He checked his pockets for money, still there.

"A customer!" someone shouted. It was a girl with a very cute voice.

"Hoh hoh, just wait a minute!" Yuki gulped; maybe he should run now when he had the chance.

"All right, I'm coming!" OK, take a steady breath, think about lovely flowers, about delicious food, to sum it up, about good things that would make him feel better. "Oh my God, is this for real? Yuuuuuuuuuki! the man called. A man with long white hair ran with open arms towards Yuki. Yuki ducked just when the man was about to pull him in an embrace. The man ran into the wall and past out Yuki assumed. The man was quiet and Yuki knew that he never was quiet unless he slept, or wait, he probably talked in his sleep too. "Yuki, I think I fell..." the man mumbled and rubbed his head.

"Oh you do? Your shoes aren't exactly...ehm, hmm..." He couldn't find a word to describe those... those shoes; they seemed to fit a clown. "Uh, your shoes is unique, perhaps you should change..."

"Why Yuki!" the man gasped. "These are modern shoes, and don't blame my fall on them! I knew you ducked, oh Yuki, why do you hate me so..." The man groaned a bit as he touched his head again. Yuki sighed, his brother was just hopeless.

"Don't you wonder why I am here?" Yuki asked and sat down on the couch, it probably was for customers who were waiting. His brother was finally up he walked towards Yuki and leaned against the wall.

"Hmm, I assumed you wanted to spend some time with your dear brother, I mean me of course, hoh hoh, the wonderful, brave, loyal, strong, ravishing, modern, loving, popular, great, glorious Souma Ayame!" he ended dramatically. Yuki yawned.

"Finished?" he asked and changed position in the couch, now his chin resting in his right hand.

"Well, actually I have a lot of other stunning qualities, I didn't think you wanted to hear them though, I'm so glad I was wrong! I also am fa-" Yuki raised his hand to quiet his brother.

"You were absolutely right, I don't want to hear more." Yuki watched his disappointed brother.

"Oh..." Ayame sighed and smiled sadly. "What is your reason?"

"Honda san..." Ayame went to Yuki and sat down beside him and waited for Yuki go on. "I wanted to cheer her up..." Ayame nodded.

"You don't know how? You want advice?" Ayame asked carefully. Yuki shook his head.

"I want to buy her something... a dress to be exact. I remember..." Yuki smiled at the memory.

"Remember what?" Ayame felt his heart warming as he saw the smile on his little brother's face.

"-What she said, that she loves 'princess' dresses. She doesn't own a 'princess' dress... I want to buy her one, a beautiful gown. I want the world to know how pretty she is..." he blushed a bit. Ayame smiled.

"I'll give you a dress," he said warmly.

"No! No you are not going to give me a dress!" he yelled. He shook his head. "Sorry, I didn't mean to shout... What I want to do is to buy one from you," he said and looked straight into Ayame's eyes. Ayame blinked.

"Buy? I can't let my own brother do such a thing! No! I will not let you give me your money that you earned!" he shook his head furiously in protest.

"Fine, I'll just go somewhere else..." Yuki was about to stand up but his brother pushed him down again.

"Fine, fine! Buy a dress here! Give me your money, there is no way I'm going to let you shop somewhere else, nobody can make such beautiful gowns as I!" he proclaimed proudly. Yuki smiled in his mind. "So... do you have a dress of hers so I can take her measures?" Damn! He had forgotten about that!

"No... I didn't think about that..." he whispered a bit ashamed. Ayame couldn't stand the sorrow in Yuki's voice.

"It's all right, I have seen Tohru plenty of times, I think I can figure it out," he said softly.

"You can?" there was so much hope in Yuki's eyes, Ayame was happy that he had caused it. He nodded. Yuki smiled. Ayame wished it was him he was smiling at but he knew it was the thought of making Tohru happy, a shame but that would do for now. Though Tohru did deserve all happy things happening to her, she had been through so much suffering and pain. He felt a bit guilty about being jealous of her.

"How do you want it to look like?"

"Hmm, your the expert, right? I'll trust you'll make it wonderful for Honda san. I'm not really good with such things..." Ayame gasped, he could almost cry with joy, Yuki trusted him!

"Oh, Yuuuuuuuuuuuuuuki!" he flung himself and his brother and Yuki jumped up and Ayame hugged a pillow. "Why did you do that?" he asked and put the pillow back.

"Didn't see you," he lied. "Anyway, I'll pay you when it's finished, and don't tell anyone, it's a secret. Well till next time," he said and left.

He had managed it! He couldn't wait to see the expression of joy in Tohru's face.

**¤**

It was time for her first lesson, she would finally be able to fight! Kyo glanced at her.

"Sure you're ready? Maybe you should rest some more?" he asked.

"No! I couldn't be more prepared, I'm so happy that your teaching me, I'll try my best," she said trying to sound cheerful. Hopefully she would learn fast, she wanted to get back out there again without a trace of fear.

"We start with a warm up," Kyo said. "First the head then we move down and last the feet, don't want you to get hurt by being stiff, you know," he muttered and showed her what to do. This was easy! Kyo seemed to notice the triumph in her face. "Err, this isn't part of the fighting, so need to put this on your memory," he said as softly as he could. Oh, she thought disappointed. Stupid, stupid, stupid! Of course not! Gaaah, she was such an idiot! "Don't worry," Kyo said, "I'll teach you, and if you are afraid don't be..." he cleared his throat, "I'll try my best to protect you..." he turned around so she wouldn't see his face covered in red. Tohru looked at his back surprised and smiled softly.

"Thank you..." she whispered. Don't worry about me Kyo kun! she thought, You shouldn't have to be! I'll become stronger, I'll manage on my own! she said to herself. She had caused so much trouble, but she would become strong, she would show it to everyone!

**¤**

That had been real tough! Kyo had been soft on her she knew, she was both grateful and mad at the same time. Even though he had taken it easy she still was exhausted. She was really out of shape. That was not good... She was happy about her determination though, otherwise she would never make it.

Tohru let the cold water run down over her naked body, she shivered a bit and turned the heat on. She touched her hair, she was still not used to it but she liked it. She would never grow her hair out again.

She turned off the water and stepped out. She didn't take the towel she had put out for her to use, instead she walked to the full length mirror and looked with disgust at her body. She touched her scar as she had often done when she gotten it. It started right over her left eyebrow and then down to her nose and ended right before her right ear started. Yuki and everyone else never talked about it, they didn't mention it, perhaps they did but not when she could hear. A guy would probably never look at her again (well Shigure and the rest but they didn't count in the matter), not with this scar. She didn't mind it, not now, she shivered. This was not the only scar she had, she had one on her right thigh as well, it was very long and deep, a lot worse than the one on her face. It didn't matter though that it was more gruesome, since the scar on her face was far more visible. She rubbed her arms and reached for her towel.

She needed to buy clothes, she had decided to give away all her 'girl' clothing and buy something much more safer, something that would hide her identity as a girl.

As she reached for the doorknob a flashback struck her.

She heard someone opening the car door. Someone pushed her and took the opportunity to touch her behind. She gasped as she fell down on the ground. Ouch, it hurt so much... Someone grunted and dragged her up by using her long hair. She was now being pushed somewhere. Everything was endless darkness.

She stumbled forward.

"You smell good..." someone whispered in her ear. She shivered, and was glad she couldn't speak, she wouldn't had been able to find words to answer him.

"Stop talking to her," a man said, a third one, she hadn't heard him before.

"I am not doing any harm, am I? Just trying to comfort this little terrified bird, he said and laughed a bit. "This very very impolite little bird," he said and pulled her hair and she could hear him smell it.

"Stop it, do I have to tell you twice?" the third man said, it sounded like he didn't care that much, just needed to say something. She was now pushed down on a chair and someone put handcuffs on her and tied her to the uncomfortable chair. She heard them leaving.

Her hand fell down from the doorknob, her knees was getting weaker, she fell softly down on the floor, landing on her knees and curled into a ball. She wrapped her arms around her body and cried softly. When she was finished she dried of the tears full with rage.

**¤**

Hanajima Saki studied the picture of her and her two best friends who were smiling happily in the picture (except Hana herself, she only gave a weak smile, well it couldn't really be called a smile, not by others though, but her friends knew better).

Had Yuki told the truth before? She was certain he was lying, but why would he do that? Hana had found his wave very unusual, not the one he often had. She was getting a bit worried, if Tohru had gone on vacation with her Grandfather (and also in the middle of a school term, that was very odd) why hadn't she told Hana or Arisa?

She looked at the smiling Tohru in the picture and for some reason she felt very sad, she didn't know why though. She put the picture back on the drawer and gazed out. Where could Tohru be?