One Week Left

I'm sorry about the wait for this chapter, but I couldn't find the strength to write again so soon- I have to say I was hoping for some more reviews...I wanted to hear from some of my old reviewers, and hear their thoughts on wether they liked this or the old story better. Oh well.. life goes on I suppose...

It wasn't as if... I could ever forget.

Kyou stood alone in the dark. His eyes, the raw crimson color were downcast.

It was the hardest decision of my life.

Kyou was suddenly thrown into the middle of a crowd. So many different people and faces. But through the many people and faces he saw someone with... almost the same hair color as his own. Last time he saw her, her hair was much longer, but-

I already have enough to be hated for. Why add another reason?

Kyou pushed his way through the crowd, trying to get to her. She always seemed to be... just out of his reach.

Was I selfish? Does she think I'm a bad person now?

She had finally stopped at the end of the sidewalk. He tried to scream, yell at her to move but he couldn't speak. All he could do was to reach his arm out-

He could have saved her... but in that he would have given away the secret-

A car flew over the curb and crashed into the corner of a building, trapping one person at the front. Kyou was left standing there, his arm still held out. Held out towards someone he had chosen not to save. Someone who was now...

DEAD

Kyou sat up in bed covered in sweat and gasping for air.

In the end he had chosen himself.

Kyou? Breakfast is ready." Tohru said at Kyou's door. She might as well as told an empty room that breakfast was ready, because he didn't answer.

His door was closed. Maybe he wasn't in his room? Tohru stood by his door a few seconds, uncertain. She didn't hear any sounds on the roof...

"Kyou?" Tohru called his name a little bit louder, maybe he didn't hear her? But silence was her answer. Thinking that she could just save some food for him later, Tohru turned and made her way to the steps.

Inside his room Kyou lay on his bed, his arms behind his head, staring at the ceiling. His eyes were like a glass doll's- unseeing.

Isuzu lay in bed, trying to block out the noises around her. She hated hospitals- the smell... and you basically had to ask before you went to the bathroom. No freedom here. At least before she'd had a reason to sneak out, but now-

" I'm tired of you. I don't need you anymore."

Rin drew her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them.

This was for the best. For his sake.

She thought he had ripped her hair out- her head hurt so much. It hadn't happened though... Akito stood over her clutching a handful of her black hair. He kneeled down near her and pulled her by her hair closer to him- she wouldn't cry out, she wouldn't give him the satisfaction of knowing her pain. Akito whispered in her ear.

" What kind of life do you think you're living? Do you think Hatsuharu likes to be associated with someone like you? Taking advantage of the stupid cow..." Akito said softly, making Rin cringe- he wasn't done yet.

He let go of her hair. " You.. need to look at yourself. You have no family.

No friends. No future- Hatsuharu is much better off without you."

No... Rin thought... That can't be true- She slowly got to her feet, her head throbbing. " You don't.. know the first thing about it-" she said her voice low. It wasn't true... was it?

Rin barley had a second's notice- Akito's right eye twitched- and then he was in her face. "Who started it?" he demanded, and in his voice Rin heard the promise of whoever did so would suffer greatly.

"I did." Rin lied, looking Akito right in the eyes.

It couldn't be true...

The next thing she remembered was lying on the ground. Ground? What happened to the floor? Outside-? she thought weakly. Blood leaked out of her eye and trailed down her face. Her back, her face... pain was a hot jolt of electricity that went through her entire body. Her shoulder was bleeding... the pain-

Had he beaten her up and then pushed her out the window, or had she sustained the injuries from the fall? Rin was disoriented. No.. She remembered the feel of his fist connecting with the side of her face, him kicking her-

But she would take all of this pain gladly- if it meant that Haru wouldn't get in trouble... because-

Akito was right. He was much better off without her.

Somewhere, far away she heard someone calling her name. It sounded like Hiro's voice. She heard him yell for help- he started talking to her, but she never heard his words. She didn't care about anything now. Rin fell into a blanket of darkness.

Standing in front of the broken window, Akito stood watching above from the second floor.

Just remembering what had happened, sent a shiver through her body. Rin pressed her forehead against her knees.

"Isuzu?"

She lifted her head at the sound of someone's voice. It was Tohru Honda.

Dropping her hands to her sides, she moved to the other side of the bed and sat facing Tohru. "Oh, it's you. Why have you come here?" Isuzu asked, trying to keep her voice cold. But just remembering what had happened before...

" I was wondering how you were.. I thought you might like a visit! How is your stay here so far?" Tohru asked smiling. Maybe she just needs to see that there are still people able to smile...

" Every time I try to go to sleep one of the nurses comes in and wakes me up, trying to make me lie down. The food is... inedible." Rin muttered, staring at a point in the wall just next to Tohru.

"Oh.. well, here-" Tohru moved forward and put something on the table next to her bed. " I was making some this morning, and I thought you might like some...-"

It was jelly. Rin stared at it as if it was a godsend. She quickly turned to the opposite wall so Tohru could not see her face. It was only after that a small rare smile broke out on her face. Maybe...

Maybe all they needed was a light to break the darkness of the curse.

" Thank you..."

That stupid hat...

Kyou lay on the roof now. He hadn't eaten all morning, and when he'd finally decided to go downstairs, Shigure told him that Tohru had gone out to visit Isuzu at the hospital. With Yuki gone, probably hanging out with his student council friends, and Shigure thinking of ways to avoid Mii- who seemed to be coming over later- Kyou went to the roof with nothing to do.

The sky was clear, with only a few stray clouds scattered across the sky. There was a light wind. It was very unlike the day that everything fell apart. He was much younger then- only seven...

It was windy outside. Kyou had been about to run outside, but Kazuma stopped him.

" It's sort of windy today. You might need a hat..." Shishou said, dropping a red hat onto Kyou's head.

"It sort of clashes with your hair... but I think it will be alright." Shishou said, chuckling.

"Ok, ok, can I go now?" Kyou asked impatiently- he was going to meet Kyoko, and if he didn't get there soon she might go home.

Kazuma nodded, and Kyou ran. He ran until he couldn't see his house anymore- and then stopped for a moment to catch his breath. The wind blew harder, and Kyou, with his hand on his knees, leaning over trying to catch his breath, felt the hat fly off his head.

Making a halfhearted attempt to grab it, the wind blew harder still, and soon the hat was out of his reach, higher in the air, and farther away.

It doesn't matter... Kyou thought as he resumed his pace towards the park- its just a hat.

But when he got to the park, instead of smiling at him, Kyoko was distraught. " I- can't-" she cried, her eyes wild when he came near.

"What's wrong?" Kyou asked, worried- she was never like this.

"I can't find Tohru!"

It was late afternoon by then, and even later it was starting to get dark. Kyou had to go home- but he promised that he would help look for Tohru.

Wherever she was... unless she was found, she was staying there for the night.

All he had said was that he's wanted to go outside. Even if it was for a short time. It was Haru's idea that he actually got a chance to go out. Haru helped him escape. Yuki stood outside, for the first time in a while.

It was kind of... windy- Yuki thought briefly, but then he didn't care, he was outside! For so long, he had been behind closed doors and locked windows, watching the days go by, now he was outside! It was early in the morning too- it might change, it was windy as far as he could tell the day before too. With a small smile he started walking.

He enjoyed every second on the outside- until he started to feel cold. He knew he could get sick easily if he stayed outside too long- but he didn't want to go back. He'd stay outside for just a little longer-

In the corner of his eyes he saw something red. It was caught between the bushes of a branch- it was a red hat. Very happy, he ran over to it and put it on his head, now he could stay outside longer! His happiness was short lived- Yuki hear the sound of approaching footsteps- whoever it was, was running fast. And then- silence.

"oh.. it's YOU." came a voice from behind him.

His first thought was that he didn't see Yuki outside that much. What was he doing outside now?

Yuki turned to look at him holding the hat on his head with one hand.

"What do you want?"

Kyou's eyes traveled on top of Yuki's head- he was wearing a red hat.

From yesterday-

"Hey... that's my-" Kyou started and then shut his mouth. He didn't want it back now. HE had touched it...

Yuki watched as Kyou, without another word, turned and ran. It was just a hat... what was more important right now was finding Tohru...

Yuki wasn't going to let Kyou ruin his time outside. So, a little warmer thanks to the hat on his head, he continued walking around. There weren't many other people outside... but that was ok. Even being alone didn't matter as long as he was, for even a short while, free.

He was about to pass a small space in between two houses... he heard a choked sob. A girl with brown hair was on here knees, her face in her hands, crying.

Wait, he knew that girl- she was the one he had accidently-

Tohru looked up, and saw a boy standing in front of her, wearing a red hat. She couldn't see his face- the hat was pulled down to low. After looking at her for a few more seconds, he ran.

Tohru didn't hesitate- she couldn't help herself she had to follow him.

He was fast, and Tohru could barley keep up.

"Please wait- don't leave me here!" She cried when she thought she had lost him. But there he was again, just a little bit ahead of her.

I want to go home! Tohru thought and then tripped- she wasn't looking where she was going. She landed, hands outstretched, right on her face.

She had scraped her knee on the ground, but she didn't pay it any attention as she lifted her head and looked for the boy. He was standing, once again a few feet away. She thought she had lost him...

Tohru didn't know for how long she ran, following, chasing him- she stopped many times, each time thinking the boy would just keep running and leave here there. But he waited. She still couldn't see his face- it was almost as if- he didn't want her to see.

Finally, all of her energy spent, she took a few more steps and then stopped. She couldn't run anymore... Hanging her head she felt as though she was going to cry again- now she was really lost... her knee starting to ache, her lungs feeling ready to burst, she didn't hear someone coming closer.

Looking down at the ground, she felt something put on her head- a hat?

She looked up, and the boy was gone, but- she was home!

"Tohru!"

Tohru turned at the sound of her mothers voice- her mom was running towards her, arms held wide. She ran into her arms, so glad to be home.

He was searching all morning, and he still hadn't found her. Where could she have gone?

Thinking that Kyoko might have found Tohru, he went back to Kyoko's house to see.

" Thanks for helping look for her Spunky, she's home, safe and sound." Kyoko said when she saw Kyou. She'd called him Spunky from the beginning...

"Who found her?" Kyou asked, sighing in relief, Tohru was alright.

"Tohru said that... the boy who was wearing this hat lead her home." Kyoko said, showing Kyou the red hat.

Kyou froze, seeing that hat- so He's the one who found her? Without thinking, he blurted- " That's my hat- the boy found it."

" I don't think it goes to well with your hair..." Kyoko said, playing with Kyou's hair. "So you want it back?"

"No!" Kyou yelled, watching Kyoko's expression change. " He touched it.. he touched that hat. I don't want it back. I hate him!"

Kyoko slowly lifted her hand from on top of his head. " I'm sorry you hate him... you shouldn't hate anyone."

"Not you too..-" Kyou took a step back from her, she was supposed to be on his side! She was... already the only one on his side. " Traitor! Traitor ! Everyone's on his side! I hate you too!" Kyou screamed at Kyoko and bolted.

In the end... five days left.

Ok then, here's with the explanation (cough, GLORIA!) Well,I'd read on some other sites that some people thought that Tohru was the girl Yuki hugged that day he was playing in the garden- and decided to use that theory here, because it fits- how else would Yuki know where Tohru lived? This chapter was just about the past.. .althought still, a day was wasted.It also took a while for me to figure out the sequence of events, with the whole hat thing, because for the longest time I had wondered how "Yuki was the red hat boy, but it was Kyou's hat." Also I'm a die-hard manga fan. so most of this story will be related to events that happened in the manga- so most of what I write is true- Rin was re-hospitalized later in the manga, and Tohru started visiting her more often. Although I had to make up my own idea about what happened with the dialogue between Rin and Akito- I just know it was about her and haru, and it ended with Akito shoving her out the window. The reason I included Rin in this chapter is because she is one of the Jyuunishi more determined to break the curse, while most of the others are resigned to their fates. Also, my idea about Kyou's guilt about Kyoko's death- I'm not one hundred percent sure, but I've read at several different sites that Kyou had the chance to save her, but chose not to because his life was difficult enough already.

Also, if you look in the first few pages in the manga, you will notice that when ever Tohru talked about the car accident, she would think of it, and it would show a car smashed into the corner of a building. Small as the picture is, it's still clear- as of what we have been shown- this was a one car accident, so what, did Kyoko drive her car into the building, or was she there on the sidewalk- They've always she she died in a car accident, they never said she was actually in the car...

Questions? Comments? I Promise I'll update sooner this time! Ja Ne!