Chapter Eighteen: Who you are and the dude in the kitchen

(Pohli's POV)

"I told her not to use her power or else I would seal up the rest of her personality… so she has now become an empty shell with no character or personality…"

Saki's terrible words replayed in my mind over and over again.

That couldn't be true… There's just no frickin' way!

I just stood there in the doorway to the tearoom like an idiot, gaping at Midori's blank expression. People started giving me weird looks because I was laughing nervously from being stunned by the situation. Yuki had freaked and run upstairs a few minutes earlier… He was closer to Midori than I was so this was probably worse on him.

Something tugged on my sleeve and I looked down to see Tsuka. The little cat plush climbed into my arms and stared at Midori sadly. I scarcely remembered hearing once when we were all at the Sohma house that when Midori's personality was sealed away, it was put into Tsuka. Without another thought, I looked away from everyone and dashed up the stairs to see if Yuki was all right. As I neared his door I started to ponder about what I could even tell him. I couldn't think… my brain had just seemed to stop working altogether.

"Yuki?" I whispered and knocked on his door… there was no reply. I gently slid the door open, just barely peeping inside to make sure I didn't see anything, like him changing or something. I looked in to see him laying on his bed with his back to me. "Hey, are you ok?" I asked, sliding into his room. He just lay there blowing me off. I moved towards his graceful figure, running my fingertips over his blue bed sheets. "Yuki, say something."

Tsuka jumped down from my arms and began to walk around Yuki till it got to his face. Yuki opened his eyes when Tsuka pretty much forced them open with its little paws. At the sight of the moving cat doll Yuki jumped up and fell on the floor. Freaking out even more, Yuki backed into his bedroom wall, a look of panic in his eyes from seeing a moving stuffed animal.

"Don't worry Yuki, Tsuka won't hurt you." I tried to comfort him but he just sat there, his violet eyes widened in shock and he took no notice in me at all! "Fine then, damn it! Just ignore me even though I'm trying to be here for you!" I shouted at Yuki and then turned and ran down the staircase and outside into the cold night, not caring that I had no shoes on or a jacket. When I finally stopped running I was deep within the forest near Shigure's house.

I punched a tree trunk in frustration and ignored the pain in my wrist and knuckles. "Damn it! Stupid Pohli! You let your anger from what happened to Midori get the better of you and you yelled at Yuki! It's not his fault that he's in shock from losing someone dear to him!" My knees gave out and I leaned against the tree for support. Tears slid down my cheeks and burned my eyes in the cold night air. "Mom…"

(Yuki's POV)

I'm going crazy! There's a plush doll that has come alive! I must be dreaming!

My brain swirled with thoughts and I thought I was going to faint when the cat doll came over to me and sat in my lap, trying to give me a reassuring look in its stitched features. Not understanding why, I wrapped my arms around the doll and brought my knees closer to my body, rocking myself comfortingly.

"Why did that have to happen to Midori…? She was the second person to see me for me and not be blinded by my curse…" I hung my head low and closed my eyes briefly before opening them again. The stuffed animal in my arms was purring slightly and snuggling closer to my chest. "For some reason… this plush… makes me feel better." It looked up at me with its golden emotionless eyes. But even though it couldn't talk or show emotion, it managed to convey its feelings in its actions.

The impact of what happened was starting to take its toll on me. It became harder and harder to keep my eyelids open and fight off the sleep. Feeling a nudge under my chin, the plush took my hand in two of its tiny paws and led me back to my bed. Without resisting, I lay down and started drifting off to sleep with the plush snuggling close to me.

(Pohli's POV)

My limbs were numb from the cold when I arose. Yeah, I accidentally fell asleep in the middle of the forest! A wild animal could have attacked me! Some lecherous freak could have raped me! And other good stuff could have happened as well, I'm sure. I sneezed and breathed through my mouth since my nose was stuffy. My breath floated away into the night silently before I stood up and started walking back in the direction I thought Shigure's house was in. Man, even my butt was numb from sitting on the cold ground for who knows how long! I glanced around briefly before realizing I was in a different place from when I had dozed off. I knew where I was but it somehow looked different. Maybe I slept walked or something?

I eventually found the road and walked along it until Shigure's house was in view. But not only that, the sun was starting to rise!

When I tried to open the door, it was locked and I inwardly cursed at falling asleep. I walked around the house, checking all the doors but they were all locked. There was a slightly cracked window on the second floor however and a convenient tree branch nearby that I could climb on.

Since my fingers and toes didn't have any feeling in them I almost fell a couple of times but sighed in relief after squeezing in through the window that I had opened a little wider.

Wait a second. I recognize this room!

Kyou's sleeping figure on his bed confirmed my assumption. I was in Kyou's bedroom all right.

Tip toeing past the bad-tempered cat quietly, I eased his door open and then shut it just as carefully. I slowly walked down the stairs praying that everything that had happened last night was either a dream or would all go away. As I passed the empty living room I saw Midori sitting there with a blank look on her face. She had been sitting there all night without sleep and the dark circles under her eyes showed it. Through teary eyes I gave her empty shell a small smile hoping it would bring her back, but I knew it wouldn't.

The Midori I knew was gone.

I slid into the kitchen; my head dropped down and my eyes were glued to the floor.

"Hey, people don't we have any oats around this place?!"

At first I thought Kyou had yelled this but why would he be yelling about wanting oats? Especially since he had been sleeping upstairs just a minute ago! I looked up to see a dark headed boy whom I knew all too well.

"YOU!? What are you doing here?!" We both screamed at each other and he dropped the bottle of milk he was holding.

TO BE CONTINUED

Kyou-chan: The guy in the kitchen isn't who you think it is!

Umi-chan: Then who is it?