Chapter 30

TT: Wow, how'd I manage to get this far? This, people, is my longest fanfic EVER, so I hope you're all happy. Oh, and sorry to anyone who expected me to update on the weekend – computer was being slow.

To everyone who wants Akito and Eris to go head to head again – patience, I'm getting towards the end of the story, and Eris has a special way of dealing with Akito then.

This chapter is for all my lovely reviewers who wanted Kisa in the story again – say 'aww' everyone!

Leiho Hiroko – stop revealing my already-planned plot-points. :P

BlueSilver-soul - …If you play that prank, and get in trouble for it, don't blame me, alright?

Ja ne, Kat – Yeah, Eris really knows who to mess with someone.

Bob - I know exactly what you mean. Angst is good, but you need some level of moderation.

kashudoreineko – I actually like Yuki's character too. Eris just takes her lead from Kyo.

"Will Baa-baa-Back-Sheep be coming with Tiger here, tomorrow?"

"Who, Hiro? Probably, you know what the brat's like… Wait, why do you want to know that?"

"I'm bored! And I told the rat that I'd stop with the pranks, so I have to at least give him a month. So I was going to do some shearing."

"I don't want to know where you found that electric razor – just put it away."

"Hey, did that ghost that was following Kisa around ever come back?"

"Hmm? Oh, Violet? No." Kyo thought back to last week, a week after Kisa had first met Eris face-to-face, and shyly asked him if he could do anything about a ghost that she thought had been following her for the last few days.

Kyo had taken one look at the distressed child, and agreed to help her. Next time Kisa had come over, Kyo had had Eris help him lure the second ghost up to his own room, leaving Kisa in the living room with Kyo's reassurances.

"Who are you?" Were the first words out of Kyo's mouth as he spoke to the young, dark-haired woman who had been causing Kisa so much distress. She looked much more like a conventional ghost than Eris, her form less solid – Kyo suspected that this happened because a ghost began to forget what they looked like – and wearing the sort of clothes someone would have worn before WWI.

The ghost had looked surprised at being addressed; looking from Kyo, to Eris hovering at the cat's shoulder, then back to Kyo again. Then, and only then, did she answer, "My name is Violet…"

Kyo nodded, "Why have you been following Kisa?" his voice was harder than perhaps it needed to be, but Kyo figured it was better safe than sorry. Most ghosts were alright, really, but when one started haunting someone, you couldn't be sure.

Violet looked at Kyo's fierce face carefully for a moment, "Are you her brother?"

"We're family. Why are you haunting her?"

Violet stared longingly in the direction she thought Kisa was in, "She… reminds me of Alice… They look so much alike, too." There was a wishful tone to Violet's voice.

Kyo's voice became softer, trying to coax out the information he wanted, "Who's Alice?"

"My… little sister…" As if these words had broken a dam, Violet began to speak to Kyo rapidly, "She was still alive when I died – she'd always been a shy thing, and I was really the only one she talked about her thoughts with. She was so - so fragile, at times, and – she needed me! So I stayed, she talked to me, even after she'd grown up and become a beautiful woman and mother, she still spoke to me at times, or at least she'd address me and talk to herself. I just couldn't leave her alone and, before I knew it, her children were grown up and she… was gone… Then, I say her – she looked so much like Alice, and she was just like her, I thought that maybe I should keep an eye on her, at least until she grew up…"

"She can see you, sometimes."

Violet nodded, "I thought she might be able to. She's special – so was Alice."

Kyo's tone sharpened again, "She isn't Alice. And Kisa doesn't want you to follow her anymore."

"She needs someone."

It was Eris is spoke, "She has Tohru – and NeKyo, too." The cat sent her an irritated looked, but didn't say anything.

"I – I…"

Kyo sighed, and looked at Eris, who had been strangely quiet, staring at Violet carefully, "You stay here with her, I'll be back in a minute."

Eris nodded, "Sure, NeKyo, I'll make sure she doesn't go anyone." She grinned at Violet, a positively evil expression, as if daring the other ghost to try and go.

Looking satisfied, Kyo walked out of the room, leaving the two spooks alone. He walked down the stairs, not really surprised to find Kisa sitting quietly on the couch watching TV – Tohru had gone off to her job about five minutes ago.

Kisa looked over at Kyo curiously, and the cat had to smile softly at the girl. He nodded his head for her to come over, "Come on – you're part."

Kisa hesitated, but obediently followed the cat up the stairs. She hesitated when the reached the cat's room, suddenly reaching out and grabbing his hand for reassurance. Kyo looked down at her in surprise, before hesitantly squeezing the hand and leading her inside.

The ghosts were very quiet, staring at each other. Eris' expression was strong and powerful, while Violet's was softer. Kyo suspected that Eris had had her own piece to say to the dark-haired ghost.

At the sight of the ghosts, Kisa squeaked and ducked behind Kyo's legs, clutching the material of his pants as she peered out behind him. She identified the ghost beaming at them as Eris after a moment, and the other was…

"Kisa, this is Violet – she's the one whose been following you. Didn't you have someone to say to her?"

Kisa looked up at Kyo, the older feline met her gaze and, after holding it for a moment, raised an eyebrow.

Swallowing heavily, Kisa took a tiny step out from behind Kyo, just enough that she could see Violet properly, "Um, I – I would like it if you would stop following me… please…"

Kyo wasn't sure if it was his own talk, the look in Kisa's eyes are she spoke to the ghost, or if Eris had had some private conversation with the second spook that they didn't know about, but the ghost had paused, looking at Kisa longingly, before agreeing.

Kisa had looked surprised, as if she was expecting the ghost to become violent. Thinking back to the first time Kisa had ever seen Eris – back when he had gone to see Akito – he thought that maybe the tiger had a point.

Kisa waited until the ghost was gone, before turning to Kyo and hugging him – the cat froze in surprise at the action – and whispering a "Thank you…" Then, letting go, she looked at the ground. Kyo waited patiently for a few moments and then, just as he was about to ask what Kisa wanted now, the girl spoke again, "Why was she following me in the first place…"

Kyo looked down at Kisa carefully for a moment, debating his answer carefully, before speaking, "Sometimes, a ghost needs to feel like they're needed – just like people do. She thought you needed someone to watch out for you. We got her to go away by explaining to her that you already had Tohru."

Kisa paused again, before looking up at him with hesitantly hopeful eyes, "And you, too?"

Kyo froze, looking at Kisa with surprised, red eyes. Kisa's lip trembled the tiniest bit, and Kyo melted, his expression softening as he gave her a gentle, albeit tentative, pat on the head, "Yeah yeah, and me."