Chapter 33

TT: Well people, as promised, Akito had returned to wreck havoc upon Kyo and Eris. And this time, he's brought back up…

Yes everyone, Eris was being rather annoying in the last chapter; she's got all this excess energy she usually uses to prank Yuki daily.

SillyLittleNothing: No doubt she's pranked all of the zodiac at least once, save for Kyo. Actually, Yuki - once he gets over his apprehension of Eris - will probably ask for her to prank his fanclub.

Klove – Chapter 31 had been a little sad, so 32 was supposed to make you laugh. Good to see it did!

Essence-of-Dreamz – I agree, it does make a good one-liner. It also tells us a fair bit about Eris' overall personality.

Note: I know nothing about exorcism, so I don't claim for the method used to work. I just made up the technique and the result for fun.

It started as a simply rumour, passing through the zodiac until Ayame had passed it on to them; Akito was planning to go and visit those at Shigure's the next Saturday, when Yuki wouldn't be at school. No one actually mentioned 'And Kyo', but no one needed to, everyone knew that was why Akito would really be coming.

Kyo pretended to not be worried. They all did, in fact. Never mind the fact that Shigure had arranged for Tohru to spend the whole day elsewhere with her friends, never mind that Yuki kept jumping at the slightest unexpected sound. They weren't worried, really they weren't.

Kyo wished Eris would stop giving him that skeptical look whenever he insisted on this fact.

Apart from Tohru, who didn't count because she wasn't involved in whatever would happen, the only one who didn't seem apprehensive was Eris herself. But, as Kyo had told her once, Eris didn't really understand. Yes, she had beaten Akito last time, but Akito hadn't known about her then. Alright, so she could be hit or controlled by brute force like the others, but Akito knew this. Akito wasn't stupid. Terrifying, vindictive, spiteful, malicious, and even enough to send Kyo's cat-senses haywire, yes, but he wasn't stupid. He knew that she couldn't be hurt or controlled by normal means, so he had to have some kind of plan for her.

Besides, Akito was coming there. Akito never went anywhere to see anyone – he was the god of the family. If he wanted to see someone, he summoned them, and they came. Akito never went to someone; it was always the other way around. The entire situation was too surreal to leave them anything but nervous.

And you can tell Eris that Kyo was not making excuses for himself, thank you very much!

The days, hours, minutes and seconds were counted down; each tick of the clock seemed to make Yuki jumpier than the last.

And then, finally, the day arrived. Tohru was convinced to leave and, not half and hour later, the other zodiac began to suddenly decide to drop in for a visit.

First Haru and Momiji had come in – no doubt that, if not for the rabbit, Haru would have been a few days later, after getting lost. Then Ayame had appeared, believing that his brother was in need of some comfort. A little while after that, Kisa had come to see Kyo, Hiro reluctantly following, ever weary of the ghost. Kagura had burst in, delighted to see her Kyo. Hatori had followed the boar; wary to the damage she might cause anyone who got into her way.

No one mentioned Akito's inevitable arrival. In fact, everyone seemed to be avoiding the subject. The day thus far had been peaceful; unless you were Hiro. Eris had taken a disliking to 'little baa-baa brat' the first time she'd met him, and so had selected him to be her victim for the day. He found himself tripped numerous times, salt was added to his drinks and sandwich. From what the others could make out from Kyo's discussion with midair, the ghost had also had the intention of dunking him in a sheep-dip, but had been unable to find one.

And then, finally, the clock struck three. And a car slid down the driveway.

The entire house went quiet as Kurono opened the door of the car for Akito. Shigure, Yuki and Kyo went outside to meet them, the others staying hidden within the house. There was no point in the three pretending to be surprised over his visit; it would only make Akito impatient.

Another man stepped out of the car; a middle-aged man whose dark hair was streaked with grey. He leaned over, asking Akito something quietly. The head of the Sohma family answered in return, and the pair looked over at Kyo. The cat felt shivers run down his spine at the glance.

The older man nodded, and took something out of the car. Akito lead him forward, and stopped a few meters in front of Kyo.

"Cat, this is Mr. Harrowing. He is here to take care of your little… tenant."

Kyo didn't have a chance to ask what he meant, before a silver cross on a chain was abruptly dropped over his neck. Both he and Eris peered at it curiously, the ghost reaching out to poke it. It swayed back and forth under the motion. Kyo saw Mr. Harrowing frown.

Then the older man spoke. Kyo didn't understand the language, but Eris blinked and tilted her head – Kyo recognized her expression as her 'I didn't know people still did that' expression. She wore it when someone did something that would have been common when she was alive, but as far as she knew no one remembered.

Mr. Harrowing continued. Kyo found it harder and harder to make out; a strong wind was starting to whistle in his ears. Strange, he didn't even feel a breeze.

Eris cried out, sounding startled. Kyo turned to her, only to see the ghost holding out a hand to shield her face from a wind that didn't exist. But it did exist for the ghost, Eris' hair and the end of her jacket were flying out behind her, growing more transparent before his eyes.

Her skin grew pale, until it suddenly hit Kyo that it wasn't actually getting paler at all; it too was becoming transparent. It was as if the wind was blowing away her entire body, molecule by molecule, until there was nothing left.

"Eris!"

"Ne…Kyo?" She looked up at him, eyes as full as fear as his voice had been. Kyo could see through those hazel eyes, into the landscape behind her. Even at her weakest, Kyo had never seen Eris so… faint.

Kyo reached out, trying to grab her. Eris reached out to grab his arms, trying to steady herself. But before they even came close enough to fall through him, Eris completely disappeared without a trace.

"ERIS!"