A man named Akito sat on his porch in the Sohma mansion looking out at the
birds around. One of them flew to him as he held out his finger for the
bird to stand on. It looked at Akito, tweeting and tilting its head. He
looked so pale and depressed; Akito let the bird fly off of his finger
while thinking.
'Hmm. That girl's family is dead now and no doubt she'll go to Shigure, if she comes here I'll get a toy to show what it's really like to be a Sohma. This should be fun...' he smirked with a psychotic chuckle escaping his lips. Akito lied onto his porch and closed his eyes, coming up with ideas on how to torture Panther.
Panther woke up with a yawn under the sunlight. It was a school day and an hour before school started. Slowly, Panther started to get ready for her school changing into one of the outfits she found at the abandoned building. She left for the kitchen downstairs; Tohru was already placing dishes on the table for everyone to eat. I looked at her as she placed a couple more dishes onto the table, and then walking back into the kitchen to grab another. Tripping, Tohru nearly got everything on the floor when Panther's fast reflexes saved the rest of breakfast. Tohru opened her squinted eyes and looked straight.
Panther was staring at her with a calm face, and kept Tohru from falling with two fingers being pressed against her shoulder. Tohru finally noticed she was on her toes looking like she was going to fall face-flat. She stood up staright and laughed with embarrassment as she put the dish on the table. Turning around, Tohru thanked Panther for catching her and noticed Kyo and Yuki walk in.
"Oh hello Yuki and Kyo!" Panther greeted with her usual cheery voice.
"Hello Ms. Honda," Yuki's eyes then filled with curiosity, "Hello Ms. Panther." Panther looked him in the eye suspiciously and slowly started walking away, step-by step, sideways. The three looked at her weirdly and she just replied with a face saying, 'freaky'.
"You're scaring me," Panther finally said, "I-I have to-
"Well, good morning everyone!" Shigure walked in with a big smile and immediately changed his expression when he saw Panther. Panther looked at him and let a smile creep onto her features. Lunging herself onto Shigure the two started their little act again, like yesterday.
"Shigure!"
"Yes Panther?" The two shrieked and looked as if they haven't seen each other for a very long time.
"I'm hungry!"
"Well we could go in my room and get you favorite," Shigure let go of Panther and smiled at her sheepishly. The three remaining occupants gave looks of disgust and horror.
"You sick bastard!" Yuki and Kyo said in unison.
"Okay!" Yuki, Kyo, and Tohru watched them leave to Shigure's room.
"Is she really going to do what I think she's going to do?" Yuki asked with disbelief. A few minutes later, Panther and Shigure walked back into the dinning holding a few containers receiving stares.
"WHAT!" Panther yelled in annoyance and stuck her tongue out as she left to the kitchen.
"Uh, Sh-sh-Shigure..." Tohru stammered, "You didn't..."
"What? Huh- Oh no! We're not like that. That'd be like molest," Shigure looked a little pale for a couple moments.
"You mean like how you hit on Tohru?" Kyo ate in irritation of the situation. Shigure laughed nervously while waving his hand vertically. The kitchen door slid open and out stepped Panther with a happy grin holding a bowl.
"YAY! Thanks a lot Shigure, this is my favorite!" Panther sat down at the table and licked her lips.
"Well I was hoping you'd come back so I wanted you to have something enjoyable." Shigure sat down next to Panther and started eating the breafast Tohru made. Tohru looked at them and started panicking.
"OH NO! Do you not like eggs and bacon? I'm sorry! I just tried to make something I thought everyone would like. I mean because, well, you just came here yesterday and I didn't think you'd hate eggs and bacon..." Tohru blabbered, but stopped when Panther knocked Tohru on top the head with her fist. Everyone stopped eating and stared at the two, Tohru looked stunned, but with an open mouthed smile; or so it looked like that.
"Oh do quit blabbering. You don't need to apologize for everything you know," Panther took her fist back and continued eating.
"You didn't have to hit her!" Kyo snapped and Panther looked him in the eye with a smirk caressing her lips; next thing everyone knew, he looked scared for his life. Shigure looked at Panther and pulled her ear.
"OW! But Shigure!" Panther grumbled and everyone looked at the two.
"Don't but me young lady," Shigure imitated a mother's voice and pointed his index finger at Panther. He was about to say something more when she bit his finger. "OW! Panther!"
"Don't but me do-do brain!" Panther grinned as she gave him a triumphant look and releasing his finger from her bite.
"Um...hey Panther, you know what you're wearing is against the school dress code right? You have to wear one of the uniforms..."
"Oh yeah, don't worry about. Thanks for the noticed though, but I'll talk to them.
"Ok." Panther turned back to her bowl almost finishing it.
"Hey, Tohru?" Panther shifted in her spot and looked at Tohru. "Thanks for breakfast!" Panther gave a peace sign with her fingers before using her fork to grab some of Shigure's food. Shigure watched in horror as his food was being stolen by one of his guests.
Quickly, Shigure took the plate away from Panther and pointed to her bowl of Cinnamon Oatmeal. She pouted and turned back to her own food, finishing it in seconds. After everyone finished eating breakfast, they all walked to school together. Yuki had some question to ask her, since he saw her when they were little. Right now, even though he may be a rat, his curiosity showed like a cat's.
"Ms. Panther, how long have you known Shigure?" Panther grinned at Yuki's question and turned around walking backwards.
"Well you see, like he said, I knew Momiji and Hatsuharu in school and we were all friends. Well, one day I bumped into them at Shigure's high school and they invited me to go and meet with their dear cousins. That when I met Shigure, Hatori...AND AYAME!" Panther laughed happily.
"Hey you favor Ayame or something?" Kyo nose wrinkled at the thought, Shigure and Ayame were the same, except Ayame was more gayish kind of.
"AYAME'S AWESOME! I love him dearly," Yuki and Kyo stopped dead in their tracks and turned pale, "Oh don't worry, I don't mean it like that. Well c'mon, we have to get to school now." Panther skipped to school alone giggling with the other three following a bit behind.
'Funny, there Sohmas and relatives of Shigure's. They must be apart of the zodiac too, but then why wouldn't they ask why I'm able to hug Shigure without him changing? They have to be apart of the zodiac- Hey maybe that's why Yuki was looking at me like that earlier...' Panther let her trail of thoughts end as she stepped into the school.
Everyone in the school looked at her and whispered about her dressing. They knew she was a new student, but all new students were able to wear casual on their first day at the school. Panther's hair was in a high ponytail that ended in mid back. She wore a slightly tight gray T-Shirt with some cargo camel pants and black shoes. Ms. Janie, science teacher, walked up to Panther.
"Panther, those clothes are against the dress code. Go to the nurse's office and get a uniform please." Panther did as told, but grumbled the WHOLE way. When she got to the nurse's office, she was told to sit and wait while the nurse was on the phone.
Whistling to cause annoyance, Panther waited patiently for the nurse to help her. Finally, the nurse hung up the phone and went to the closet. She brought out two uniforms identical to all the other girls' in the school. Holding them in front of Panther, the nurse asked which one would fit her.
"None." Panther simply said. The nurse went back into the closet and grabbed out one smaller and one bigger than the other two sizes.
"Which one?" The nurse asked. Panther decided to have some fun so she said, "None." The nurse gave a frustrated look and put the outfits back and brought out a couple more.
"None." She simply replied again and the nurse dropped her hands in exasperation.
"Well these are the only two left you know. What size are you?" I nearly smirked but had to hide it.
"I don't like these uniforms." Panther said in a harsh tone. Panther looked the nurse in the eye with an annoyed look. Unknown to anyone else who was there, Panther looked into the nurse's mind. The nurse saw a pair of glowing blood red eyes flash in her head. It seemed that for that few seconds, those eyes were the only thing she could see, and once it disappeared, she saw Panther in front of her again.
'What was that?' The nurse thought while remembering those pair of eyes that made her fear.
"You may go..." The nurse said in a shaky voice while turning around to her desk and regaining composure.
"Thank you." Panther left the office and to her class with an evil grin. Most of the students stopped talking about Panther and her dressing while others complained.
Walking over to her seat, Panther noticed Tohru talking to Hana and Uo in the back of the class. She didn't know if they noticed her too, but she really didn't feel like talking right now. She looked about the classroom, finding Kyo sitting down and Yuki standing at the front of the class; both being bothered by those pesky fan club girls...and other people too.
Sighing, Panther sank into her chair getting lost in her thoughts and falling asleep. Her mind wandered to her now dead family. She knew one of her father's friends would make a funeral for them. But even so, Panther did not go. She ran away from her city and to a city she was once happy in; the city she was in now, the one she was still happy in.
"Panther!" a young female that looked to be about 16 rushed over to Panther with a worried look on her face. "Your family, they were caught in an explosion!" Panther looked at her friend Satori with wide eyes and the two ran over to Panther's house. There were firemen putting out the fire and going into the house to retrieve any one who was caught in it. Panther stared at the building before looking around the area to find Akito stepping into a nearby car.
He smirked at her and let a piece of paper be carried to Panther by the wind. Panther grabbed the note and looked at it. Growling, she crumpled up the paper and held it in her now clenched fists. She was angry, but more sad to do anything. She wanted to hurt someone so badly, but when the firemen came out carrying every last of her family members, tears rolled and sirens sounded. The paramedics came and took the bodies to the city morgue. As Panther stood, the sirens started to fade as it drove off and everything seemed to darken; she heard voices.
"Panther? Panther! Panther, wake up," Panther's eyes slid open and her vision became a bit sluggish, "School's begun, sleep time's over. Now pay attention." Panther's visioin became clear now and she realized what she just did. She sat up straight looking like a soldier and stared up front waiting for the day to pass. Everyone looked at her and snickered at her reaction. The class went on and so did the other classes until lunch came around the corner.
Tohru, Uo, Hana, Yuki, and Kyo sat together for lunch while Panther ate alone; She didn't want to be accompanied while she ate. Uo, Yuki, Kyo, and Hana were playing 'Rich Man, Poor Man' while Tohru sat watching them. She was really thinking, though, about her past.
'Let's see, Mom told me I had a sister. Funny I only think of this now, but with Panther around, it kind of seems like she is my sister; and it makes me wonder I guess. Mom said that I used to meet up with her when I was six and we'd play around and stuff, but I can't remember whom. Oh man this isn't good. How am I going to be able to try and find her if I don't even remember her name or anything. Maybe I should ask Uo and Hana for some advice...but they don't know about my younger sister. Oh my head, I can't believe I can't remember something from when I was six years old. Oh, how am I going to do this...' Tohru's head started to hurt and she fell back being caught by Hana. They all looked at her with concern as Hana put her hand on Tohru's forehead.
"She's got a fever." Saki informed. Kyo was about to say something when Yuki stood up and carried Tohru bridal style.
"I'll take her home." Kyo glared at Yuki with jealousy.
"Do you need any help?" Yuki shook his head no before walking off to a bus stop to take Tohru home.
Later on that night, when everyone came home from school, Panther didn't even bother with her acts with Shigure. She was too exhausted from all the teachers hauling her around because of her drowsiness and dressing. Kyo and Yuki made sure Tohru was all right and left to do his own things. After a while, Panther left her room and went downstairs for some chow. She saw Shigure sitting at the table drinking water.
"Hey Gure." Panther yawned while walking past to the kitchen.
"Oh Panther, Tohru's sick. Would you mind cooking for us?" Sighing, Panther slid the kitchen door shut without replying. Shigure knew she was going to cook, though, so he didn't worry.
Fifteen minutes later dinner was ready and everyone was starving, even the poor sick little Tohru in bed. She made stew and leeches for dinner and put them on the table. Once Kyo stepped into the dinning room and smelt the leeches, he immediately covered his sensitive nose.
"LEECHES! YUK!" Kyo grumbled and Panther glared at him in the eye. Kyo's vision turned pitch black and showed the pair of eyes he saw that morning when Panther stared at him. After a few moments, his vision was back to normal and he stared at Panther's grinning face.
"It isn't for you, Kyo. And if it was our dinner, it'd be what you'd have to eat or you wouldn't get anything to eat at all!" Panther grabbed the bowl of leeches and a small table-tray, taking it upstairs to Tohru's room for her to eat. Everyone ate, Tohru recovered from her illness, then all went to sleep or do whatever for the night.
Yuki and Kyo were sleeping, Shigure was in his office writing, Tohru was in bed resting, and Panther was in bed restless. She tried her best to fall asleep, but with all the dosing off in school she just couldn't. Throwing her covers off, she got out of bed and walked around the house stopping in front of Tohru's room. She heard a muffled voice talking. Peeking into the room, Panther could see Tohru with her hands clasped together and looking at a picture while saying things.
"Mom? Please, I don't remember what little sister's name was or who she is anymore. I need help, I want to know if I still have family out there besides Grandpa. I mean, I'm thankful for his help and everything, the Sohmas too, but I just want to make sure. Oh! I almost forgot, I passed last week's exams. I'm doing fine, but it hurts," Panther left the door cracked open, so she could hear, as she sat down against the wall and listened from outside the room.
"It hurts because...I've lost so much, and everyone only thinks that I'm happy...but they don't really know how sad I am. I'm trying my best to be happy for them...to make them happy. The Sohmas have done so much for me and I thank them for that. I'm happy with them, but I still wish you could be here and that people at school would stop trampling all over me," Yuki's door slid open and he stepped out to see Panther eavesdropping. Panther put a finger on her lips as if to hush him; he obeyed and stood there listening as well.
"I love the Sohmas, really I do. It's just that even before the Sohmas, I was being made fun of. Guess I'm like Kisa a bit, but I remember that...when I was little, with little sister, I was still happy and she helped me. Funny, I can remember that, but I can't remember her own name." Yuki was about to step in when Panther blocked him with her arm.
"Let me go in, please. I can relate, go back to bed. I'll talk to her." Panther whispered before walking into the room and shutting the door behind her. Startled, Tohru sat up in bed and her eyes met with maroon ones.
"Tohru," Panther moved over to Tohru and sat on the bed next to her, "I'm sorry. I'm sorry for you pain and for hitting you this morning. If this is about this morning, I like eggs and bacon, really I DO! I'm sorry, I didn't mean to hurt you at all. It's just that, you reminded me so much of my older sister, and to be honest I think you just might be. See, it wasn't till when I heard you talking just now did I start thinking about my past and family, too. The one I had here I mean. You have the same first name of my older sister and the same last name of my mother. I'm sorry," Tohru looked at Panther surprised at the information.
"When I was four years old, my sister and I would play around in the park and everything. She'd take me to school with her where everyone bullied her, but I helped take care of them," Panther said the last 7 words in a triumphant voice, "that's how it was. Later, I met Momiji and Hatsuharu, but she didn't know about them...and you know how the rest of the story goes. But when I was five, I left because of Akito, I even left my mom and sister to go to my aunt's to keep my friends and family safe." Panther explained and Tohru quickly clung onto Panther and the two sat there for a couple of minutes before releasing the other.
Tohru looked at Panther with tear filled eyes and the two hugged once again. Tohru's mind snapped when Panther told her about her past; she realized that Panther was her little sister. Unbeknownst to them, Yuki and Shigure were watching in through a peephole. Shigure shut the door quietly and they left the two girls alone. Inside the room, Tohru was crying on Panther's shoulder while Panther smiled calmly.
"Oh Panther!" Tohru's muffled voice spoke to the younger brown haired girl.
"Tohru, it's alright. At least you don't have to look anymore, right?" Tohru cried herself to sleep and Panther laid her down on the bed before leaving to sleep in her own room. Before she left, though, Panther glanced back at the older girl with a smile.
"Good night, Dear Tohru."
'Hmm. That girl's family is dead now and no doubt she'll go to Shigure, if she comes here I'll get a toy to show what it's really like to be a Sohma. This should be fun...' he smirked with a psychotic chuckle escaping his lips. Akito lied onto his porch and closed his eyes, coming up with ideas on how to torture Panther.
Panther woke up with a yawn under the sunlight. It was a school day and an hour before school started. Slowly, Panther started to get ready for her school changing into one of the outfits she found at the abandoned building. She left for the kitchen downstairs; Tohru was already placing dishes on the table for everyone to eat. I looked at her as she placed a couple more dishes onto the table, and then walking back into the kitchen to grab another. Tripping, Tohru nearly got everything on the floor when Panther's fast reflexes saved the rest of breakfast. Tohru opened her squinted eyes and looked straight.
Panther was staring at her with a calm face, and kept Tohru from falling with two fingers being pressed against her shoulder. Tohru finally noticed she was on her toes looking like she was going to fall face-flat. She stood up staright and laughed with embarrassment as she put the dish on the table. Turning around, Tohru thanked Panther for catching her and noticed Kyo and Yuki walk in.
"Oh hello Yuki and Kyo!" Panther greeted with her usual cheery voice.
"Hello Ms. Honda," Yuki's eyes then filled with curiosity, "Hello Ms. Panther." Panther looked him in the eye suspiciously and slowly started walking away, step-by step, sideways. The three looked at her weirdly and she just replied with a face saying, 'freaky'.
"You're scaring me," Panther finally said, "I-I have to-
"Well, good morning everyone!" Shigure walked in with a big smile and immediately changed his expression when he saw Panther. Panther looked at him and let a smile creep onto her features. Lunging herself onto Shigure the two started their little act again, like yesterday.
"Shigure!"
"Yes Panther?" The two shrieked and looked as if they haven't seen each other for a very long time.
"I'm hungry!"
"Well we could go in my room and get you favorite," Shigure let go of Panther and smiled at her sheepishly. The three remaining occupants gave looks of disgust and horror.
"You sick bastard!" Yuki and Kyo said in unison.
"Okay!" Yuki, Kyo, and Tohru watched them leave to Shigure's room.
"Is she really going to do what I think she's going to do?" Yuki asked with disbelief. A few minutes later, Panther and Shigure walked back into the dinning holding a few containers receiving stares.
"WHAT!" Panther yelled in annoyance and stuck her tongue out as she left to the kitchen.
"Uh, Sh-sh-Shigure..." Tohru stammered, "You didn't..."
"What? Huh- Oh no! We're not like that. That'd be like molest," Shigure looked a little pale for a couple moments.
"You mean like how you hit on Tohru?" Kyo ate in irritation of the situation. Shigure laughed nervously while waving his hand vertically. The kitchen door slid open and out stepped Panther with a happy grin holding a bowl.
"YAY! Thanks a lot Shigure, this is my favorite!" Panther sat down at the table and licked her lips.
"Well I was hoping you'd come back so I wanted you to have something enjoyable." Shigure sat down next to Panther and started eating the breafast Tohru made. Tohru looked at them and started panicking.
"OH NO! Do you not like eggs and bacon? I'm sorry! I just tried to make something I thought everyone would like. I mean because, well, you just came here yesterday and I didn't think you'd hate eggs and bacon..." Tohru blabbered, but stopped when Panther knocked Tohru on top the head with her fist. Everyone stopped eating and stared at the two, Tohru looked stunned, but with an open mouthed smile; or so it looked like that.
"Oh do quit blabbering. You don't need to apologize for everything you know," Panther took her fist back and continued eating.
"You didn't have to hit her!" Kyo snapped and Panther looked him in the eye with a smirk caressing her lips; next thing everyone knew, he looked scared for his life. Shigure looked at Panther and pulled her ear.
"OW! But Shigure!" Panther grumbled and everyone looked at the two.
"Don't but me young lady," Shigure imitated a mother's voice and pointed his index finger at Panther. He was about to say something more when she bit his finger. "OW! Panther!"
"Don't but me do-do brain!" Panther grinned as she gave him a triumphant look and releasing his finger from her bite.
"Um...hey Panther, you know what you're wearing is against the school dress code right? You have to wear one of the uniforms..."
"Oh yeah, don't worry about. Thanks for the noticed though, but I'll talk to them.
"Ok." Panther turned back to her bowl almost finishing it.
"Hey, Tohru?" Panther shifted in her spot and looked at Tohru. "Thanks for breakfast!" Panther gave a peace sign with her fingers before using her fork to grab some of Shigure's food. Shigure watched in horror as his food was being stolen by one of his guests.
Quickly, Shigure took the plate away from Panther and pointed to her bowl of Cinnamon Oatmeal. She pouted and turned back to her own food, finishing it in seconds. After everyone finished eating breakfast, they all walked to school together. Yuki had some question to ask her, since he saw her when they were little. Right now, even though he may be a rat, his curiosity showed like a cat's.
"Ms. Panther, how long have you known Shigure?" Panther grinned at Yuki's question and turned around walking backwards.
"Well you see, like he said, I knew Momiji and Hatsuharu in school and we were all friends. Well, one day I bumped into them at Shigure's high school and they invited me to go and meet with their dear cousins. That when I met Shigure, Hatori...AND AYAME!" Panther laughed happily.
"Hey you favor Ayame or something?" Kyo nose wrinkled at the thought, Shigure and Ayame were the same, except Ayame was more gayish kind of.
"AYAME'S AWESOME! I love him dearly," Yuki and Kyo stopped dead in their tracks and turned pale, "Oh don't worry, I don't mean it like that. Well c'mon, we have to get to school now." Panther skipped to school alone giggling with the other three following a bit behind.
'Funny, there Sohmas and relatives of Shigure's. They must be apart of the zodiac too, but then why wouldn't they ask why I'm able to hug Shigure without him changing? They have to be apart of the zodiac- Hey maybe that's why Yuki was looking at me like that earlier...' Panther let her trail of thoughts end as she stepped into the school.
Everyone in the school looked at her and whispered about her dressing. They knew she was a new student, but all new students were able to wear casual on their first day at the school. Panther's hair was in a high ponytail that ended in mid back. She wore a slightly tight gray T-Shirt with some cargo camel pants and black shoes. Ms. Janie, science teacher, walked up to Panther.
"Panther, those clothes are against the dress code. Go to the nurse's office and get a uniform please." Panther did as told, but grumbled the WHOLE way. When she got to the nurse's office, she was told to sit and wait while the nurse was on the phone.
Whistling to cause annoyance, Panther waited patiently for the nurse to help her. Finally, the nurse hung up the phone and went to the closet. She brought out two uniforms identical to all the other girls' in the school. Holding them in front of Panther, the nurse asked which one would fit her.
"None." Panther simply said. The nurse went back into the closet and grabbed out one smaller and one bigger than the other two sizes.
"Which one?" The nurse asked. Panther decided to have some fun so she said, "None." The nurse gave a frustrated look and put the outfits back and brought out a couple more.
"None." She simply replied again and the nurse dropped her hands in exasperation.
"Well these are the only two left you know. What size are you?" I nearly smirked but had to hide it.
"I don't like these uniforms." Panther said in a harsh tone. Panther looked the nurse in the eye with an annoyed look. Unknown to anyone else who was there, Panther looked into the nurse's mind. The nurse saw a pair of glowing blood red eyes flash in her head. It seemed that for that few seconds, those eyes were the only thing she could see, and once it disappeared, she saw Panther in front of her again.
'What was that?' The nurse thought while remembering those pair of eyes that made her fear.
"You may go..." The nurse said in a shaky voice while turning around to her desk and regaining composure.
"Thank you." Panther left the office and to her class with an evil grin. Most of the students stopped talking about Panther and her dressing while others complained.
Walking over to her seat, Panther noticed Tohru talking to Hana and Uo in the back of the class. She didn't know if they noticed her too, but she really didn't feel like talking right now. She looked about the classroom, finding Kyo sitting down and Yuki standing at the front of the class; both being bothered by those pesky fan club girls...and other people too.
Sighing, Panther sank into her chair getting lost in her thoughts and falling asleep. Her mind wandered to her now dead family. She knew one of her father's friends would make a funeral for them. But even so, Panther did not go. She ran away from her city and to a city she was once happy in; the city she was in now, the one she was still happy in.
"Panther!" a young female that looked to be about 16 rushed over to Panther with a worried look on her face. "Your family, they were caught in an explosion!" Panther looked at her friend Satori with wide eyes and the two ran over to Panther's house. There were firemen putting out the fire and going into the house to retrieve any one who was caught in it. Panther stared at the building before looking around the area to find Akito stepping into a nearby car.
He smirked at her and let a piece of paper be carried to Panther by the wind. Panther grabbed the note and looked at it. Growling, she crumpled up the paper and held it in her now clenched fists. She was angry, but more sad to do anything. She wanted to hurt someone so badly, but when the firemen came out carrying every last of her family members, tears rolled and sirens sounded. The paramedics came and took the bodies to the city morgue. As Panther stood, the sirens started to fade as it drove off and everything seemed to darken; she heard voices.
"Panther? Panther! Panther, wake up," Panther's eyes slid open and her vision became a bit sluggish, "School's begun, sleep time's over. Now pay attention." Panther's visioin became clear now and she realized what she just did. She sat up straight looking like a soldier and stared up front waiting for the day to pass. Everyone looked at her and snickered at her reaction. The class went on and so did the other classes until lunch came around the corner.
Tohru, Uo, Hana, Yuki, and Kyo sat together for lunch while Panther ate alone; She didn't want to be accompanied while she ate. Uo, Yuki, Kyo, and Hana were playing 'Rich Man, Poor Man' while Tohru sat watching them. She was really thinking, though, about her past.
'Let's see, Mom told me I had a sister. Funny I only think of this now, but with Panther around, it kind of seems like she is my sister; and it makes me wonder I guess. Mom said that I used to meet up with her when I was six and we'd play around and stuff, but I can't remember whom. Oh man this isn't good. How am I going to be able to try and find her if I don't even remember her name or anything. Maybe I should ask Uo and Hana for some advice...but they don't know about my younger sister. Oh my head, I can't believe I can't remember something from when I was six years old. Oh, how am I going to do this...' Tohru's head started to hurt and she fell back being caught by Hana. They all looked at her with concern as Hana put her hand on Tohru's forehead.
"She's got a fever." Saki informed. Kyo was about to say something when Yuki stood up and carried Tohru bridal style.
"I'll take her home." Kyo glared at Yuki with jealousy.
"Do you need any help?" Yuki shook his head no before walking off to a bus stop to take Tohru home.
Later on that night, when everyone came home from school, Panther didn't even bother with her acts with Shigure. She was too exhausted from all the teachers hauling her around because of her drowsiness and dressing. Kyo and Yuki made sure Tohru was all right and left to do his own things. After a while, Panther left her room and went downstairs for some chow. She saw Shigure sitting at the table drinking water.
"Hey Gure." Panther yawned while walking past to the kitchen.
"Oh Panther, Tohru's sick. Would you mind cooking for us?" Sighing, Panther slid the kitchen door shut without replying. Shigure knew she was going to cook, though, so he didn't worry.
Fifteen minutes later dinner was ready and everyone was starving, even the poor sick little Tohru in bed. She made stew and leeches for dinner and put them on the table. Once Kyo stepped into the dinning room and smelt the leeches, he immediately covered his sensitive nose.
"LEECHES! YUK!" Kyo grumbled and Panther glared at him in the eye. Kyo's vision turned pitch black and showed the pair of eyes he saw that morning when Panther stared at him. After a few moments, his vision was back to normal and he stared at Panther's grinning face.
"It isn't for you, Kyo. And if it was our dinner, it'd be what you'd have to eat or you wouldn't get anything to eat at all!" Panther grabbed the bowl of leeches and a small table-tray, taking it upstairs to Tohru's room for her to eat. Everyone ate, Tohru recovered from her illness, then all went to sleep or do whatever for the night.
Yuki and Kyo were sleeping, Shigure was in his office writing, Tohru was in bed resting, and Panther was in bed restless. She tried her best to fall asleep, but with all the dosing off in school she just couldn't. Throwing her covers off, she got out of bed and walked around the house stopping in front of Tohru's room. She heard a muffled voice talking. Peeking into the room, Panther could see Tohru with her hands clasped together and looking at a picture while saying things.
"Mom? Please, I don't remember what little sister's name was or who she is anymore. I need help, I want to know if I still have family out there besides Grandpa. I mean, I'm thankful for his help and everything, the Sohmas too, but I just want to make sure. Oh! I almost forgot, I passed last week's exams. I'm doing fine, but it hurts," Panther left the door cracked open, so she could hear, as she sat down against the wall and listened from outside the room.
"It hurts because...I've lost so much, and everyone only thinks that I'm happy...but they don't really know how sad I am. I'm trying my best to be happy for them...to make them happy. The Sohmas have done so much for me and I thank them for that. I'm happy with them, but I still wish you could be here and that people at school would stop trampling all over me," Yuki's door slid open and he stepped out to see Panther eavesdropping. Panther put a finger on her lips as if to hush him; he obeyed and stood there listening as well.
"I love the Sohmas, really I do. It's just that even before the Sohmas, I was being made fun of. Guess I'm like Kisa a bit, but I remember that...when I was little, with little sister, I was still happy and she helped me. Funny, I can remember that, but I can't remember her own name." Yuki was about to step in when Panther blocked him with her arm.
"Let me go in, please. I can relate, go back to bed. I'll talk to her." Panther whispered before walking into the room and shutting the door behind her. Startled, Tohru sat up in bed and her eyes met with maroon ones.
"Tohru," Panther moved over to Tohru and sat on the bed next to her, "I'm sorry. I'm sorry for you pain and for hitting you this morning. If this is about this morning, I like eggs and bacon, really I DO! I'm sorry, I didn't mean to hurt you at all. It's just that, you reminded me so much of my older sister, and to be honest I think you just might be. See, it wasn't till when I heard you talking just now did I start thinking about my past and family, too. The one I had here I mean. You have the same first name of my older sister and the same last name of my mother. I'm sorry," Tohru looked at Panther surprised at the information.
"When I was four years old, my sister and I would play around in the park and everything. She'd take me to school with her where everyone bullied her, but I helped take care of them," Panther said the last 7 words in a triumphant voice, "that's how it was. Later, I met Momiji and Hatsuharu, but she didn't know about them...and you know how the rest of the story goes. But when I was five, I left because of Akito, I even left my mom and sister to go to my aunt's to keep my friends and family safe." Panther explained and Tohru quickly clung onto Panther and the two sat there for a couple of minutes before releasing the other.
Tohru looked at Panther with tear filled eyes and the two hugged once again. Tohru's mind snapped when Panther told her about her past; she realized that Panther was her little sister. Unbeknownst to them, Yuki and Shigure were watching in through a peephole. Shigure shut the door quietly and they left the two girls alone. Inside the room, Tohru was crying on Panther's shoulder while Panther smiled calmly.
"Oh Panther!" Tohru's muffled voice spoke to the younger brown haired girl.
"Tohru, it's alright. At least you don't have to look anymore, right?" Tohru cried herself to sleep and Panther laid her down on the bed before leaving to sleep in her own room. Before she left, though, Panther glanced back at the older girl with a smile.
"Good night, Dear Tohru."