Chapter XI: The Beautiful Stranger

Tohru

Everything was in a daze, I took little notice of Kyo who was dragging me somewhere...

What the hell had just happened!?

Had Kyo turned into a cat before? I remember waiting for him by the water while he was changing, or was that just my imagination?

"What happened?" I mumbled, still very preoccupied with my thoughts.

"Something stupid!" he grunted.

Everything was still... I then noticed that we had stopped and we were now standing in front of Shigure, Yuki, Hatori, Ritsu... and a lot more people... I was feeling very confused.

My dreams... My fantasies, it hadn't been neither! They had all been flashbacks, or? Was this a dream as well?

We were walking again because I could sense my clumsy feet stumbling over each other.

I saw dark hair in front of me... Shigure and Hatori... Gray and orange beside me, Kyo still holding my arm.

I shivered. The day that had started out so warm was now blowing away with the winds. Why had I only brought this bikini and one lousy thin dress with me?

Someone closed the door. I was now in the backseat of a car.

My head fell back, I felt sick, and I was getting a major headache.

'I thought no one would accept me in this form,' a voice said in my head, Kyo? Was it you?

'I ran away from it all.' Yuki? Why run, what were your running from?

'I don't want you to have contact with him again.' Why Shigure? Why can't I have contact with whoever you warned me from?

"I saw something funny..." I mumbled with closed eyes and giggled. "I guess you all will think I am crazy. You want to know what I saw? I saw Kyo turning into a cat! A cat!" I giggled.

"She's going nuts, totally nuts!"

"Shut up baka neko, this is your fault."

"How could I know she was going to fall?!"

"You could step aside, take her arm, and make sure she stays up, must you stand still?"

"I would have if I had known she would fall!!!!"

"Both of you be quiet, can't you see what you are doing to poor Honda-kun? I think she's going to faint."

"Yes, yes, listen to Ha-san! He knows best!"

"You're just saying that because you don't have anything smart to say."

"Yeah, stupid Shigure!"

"SHUT UP!" Hatori shouted.

Voices... wouldn't they stop!

Someone touched my forehead, it was a cool hand, it felt nice.

Yuki

She knows... She knows again!

I stroke away some of her hair from her face and watched her.

I know I had yelled at that baka neko before, blaming him, but the truth was that I was grateful. We must now tell her again, I didn't have to hide it anymore.

Hatori stopped the car and everyone walked out.

"Someone help her," Shigure said.

"I'll do it..." I watched Hatori lifting Honda-san and we went inside.

"H- Hatori?" she mumbled confused.

"You don't have to talk, you have a fever. No wonder after all that has happened to you today."

I wanted to say something, something clever or encouraging, but nothing came out.

"Fever..." she whispered. "That's why I don't feel so good..."

I opened the door to Honda-san's room and Hatori lay her down.

She looked really beautiful, especially in that dress (Authoress note: Well, he is a guy after all), should I say, 'you look great, even though you're sick.' Eh, no, that did not sound good at all. What was I thinking? I turned around so no one would see me blushing.

"Rest," Hatori said.

"Rest..." she closed her eyes but only one second went before she sat up alarmed. "What happened? Explain all this... About the Junishi."

"We will, but before we do that, rest," he closed the door in front of the shocked girl and went calmly downstairs. Kyo and I stood silently in front of her door unaware of each others presence.

"Wha- what are you doing here?!" he hissed when he finally saw me.

"May I ask the same," I said and finally decided to go downstairs as well.

What would I do with my time till Honda-san woke up? It felt like an eternity...

Hatori

Everyone was in Honda-kun's room, Yuki sometimes giving her nervous glances, Shigure holding her hand and Kyo was gazing out the window.

"So... I can't hug you without you guys turning into animals?" she finally asked.

I had explained the whole situation to her, she seemed to take it rather well.

"That is correct," I said. "Only the male members though," I added quickly.

"Hmm... What a shame, how can you delicious guys be created and not be touched... Well, no problem if you were gay... Ah, what the hell... Uhm... Yeah, OK, I understand."

Shigure laughed at this and was given a dirty look by Yuki and Kyo.

"Uhm, Honda-san... I'm sorry that I jumped away when you tried to.. you know... I guess you understand now," Yuki said awkwardly.

Silent. "Honda-san?"

"Fine, you're forgiven," she said with a sigh.

"Ehm, thank you." Youth, I shook my head but couldn't help smiling.

"I can't believe all this... I always thought it was something else... Some stupid imaginations, I had no idea you guys turned into animals! Don't worry, I know it seems most pretty girls blabber and can't keep secrets, but I can, I swear I won't tell anyone."

"We understand," I said.

This was taking too long! When would she remember?

"You don't remember anything?" I asked.

Anxiety was seen in her innocent face. "I'm sorry... Sorry for what I said before, you know, me being a pretty girl... No, not just that, about everything. I believe that is something the real Honda Tohru wouldn't say?" I would laugh if it wasn't such tragedy. That was no reason to feel sorry. It made me think of Momiji.

"It's fine, that's not something you should feel sorry about," I said confused. "You don't have to force yourself to be her so we will like you. Be who you are and when you remember you'll probably be another way, just be what you feel."

"OK..." she paused, "that boy, Hiro said something, said I was hiding... It's true, I don't know why really," she sighed. "Can I take a walk? I need fresh air, please?"

"You're not feeling well enough," I said. That was absurd, she shouldn't be walking in her condition.

"Please?" Why did she have that enthralling voice, it was so beautiful after the accident. She sounded like a real woman. I shuddered, how could I think such a thing? I felt disgusted by myself. No, don't be, you are a human being, you are allowed to think such things, just don't say it aloud. I nodded to myself. Yes, that was reasonable.

"I'll go with her," Yuki said.

"No, I want to be alone... Please, or I'll just sneak out later." Just let her go, I said to myself. It's not like she's dying.

I sighed. "Fine, but don't be away to long."

"I promise."

"Put on some warm clothes."

"I will."

"If you feel faint or anything come home."

"Yes."

"Just shut up, Hatori. She has a brain, she can think," Kyo said.

"I'm just doing my job," I said slightly annoyed.

Akito

I took a deep breath, it would start raining, the air and the color of the clouds gave signs of it.

I shifted my position on the rock. Would she come? Had this been a vain attempt?

I smiled, even though I would be soaked in seconds, even though it hurt all over my body, even though this was foolish it would be worth it, suddenly my smile faded. Another possibility entered my mind. If she didn't come I knew I would hit something or someone, I needed to see her! I needed to see her true self, I needed to see the contemptible girl.

A blur of white, someone, a person was walking there.

It was her.

I waited patiently.

Tohru

I dried away a single tear that had managed to escape from one of my eyes. Who am I? What was I doing? Why was I hiding?

Mother, why!? You pain me so, I just want to forget you! No, I'm sorry, I didn't mean that...

I felt another presence. Who was there? I turned my head slightly and saw a beautiful young man wearing black clothes.

"Hello," he smiled, what a pretty smile...

"H-hi, you surprised me," I said.

"I'm sorry." He studied me. I saw his eyes following me as I tucked in some of my hair behind my ears, as I shifted position of my hands, at everything I did.

"Uh, do I know you?"

"I'm sorry, how rude of me, yes, you do. I am a cousin of the people you live with." A cousin? Yes, he did share a slight resemblance with Yuki.

"Oh, nice to meet you.. Sorry, I can't remember you, I have-"

"Amnesia, I know," he smiled. He was so pretty... ever more than Yuki. I found myself staring at him.

"Oh, OK."

"You are different?" he asked.

"Uhm, yeah, you can't tell?"

"I can. You don't remember anything?" His voice was so enchanting, I've never heard such an unusual but bewitching voice.

"No," I wouldn't mention the animals to him, he might know, but I couldn't be certain.

"Let's walk, shall we?" My heart skipped a beat, I wasn't sure if it was out of joy, nervousness or was it possible it was out of fear?

I nodded in wonder. "I've never seen you at our house," I said. "Don't you like your cousins?"

He laughed. It gave me chills, I don't know why. "I like them, Yuki and I are very close in fact, but something terrible happened."

It started raining, soft drops of water landed on my hair. "What?" I couldn't imagine Shigure, Yuki or Kyo to do something bad to another person, but what do I know?

"We used to live together, but they moved, they never contacted me, don't you find that disturbing?"

I touched my face wearily. I should probably go back, but something about this man made me stay. "How awful of them," I whispered.

"Yes, I don't want to be the first one to do so, they will have to do the first move, don't you think so?"

"Yes..."

"Tohru-san... You truly are different," he laughed after saying that.

I shuddered, I was afraid of him I realized but also attracted to him in some way. (Authoress note: Not that kind of attraction.)

"I should be heading home," I said. I was freezing to death, that man didn't look cold at all, it was as if he loved the rain.

"Don't tell Yuki or anyone else that I saw you... I don't want them to think that I tried to see them."

"All right, later."

I don't know why, but I felt a sudden urge to see the beautiful man again, I turned around but only found emptiness, had he already left?

I hadn't been able to clear my mind yet, to find some kind of decision about myself, because of that meeting, should I feel relieved or sad by this?

I sneezed. Bed, warm bed, I'm coming.

Akito

I lifted my head and closed my eyes, I let the rain wash away all my troubles.

**********

Runic Knight: Thank you. ^_^

Sakura Avalon or Kinomoto: Yes, of course I will continue, well till the story is finished. I'm hoping it won't be to long till then. ^_~;

Faol: Why thanks! Your words means a great deal.

mewlw: She probably will, most people seem to want that.

Arrei: There you have Akito doing something, it wasn't very much though. ^_-;; Don't worry, he'll be around a bit more till the end of the story. Again, a BIG thank you.

Val Kyrie: Yes, this is only based on the anime, since I've seen all the anime but not read so much of the manga. However I know pretty much about it as well. Perhaps you are referring to Rin and Kureno (since they aren't in my story)? I don't know that much of them so I can put them in, because I would probably ruin it. Yes, I am aware that perhaps I rushed a bit in chap ten, but otherwise I know I would go on and on, well forever till she finally realized Hiro's words (Hiro is the best person when it comes to telling the truth, even though it might not be in a gentle way). Anyway, thanks! Honestly, your words made me one happy person. Have I missed something about Kyo? o_O

BishounenChaser: Lol, thank you. I'll see what I can do about Haru.