It was a chilly autumn day; one so nearing winter that all of the trees had ridden themselves of their summer foliage, their leaves long turned various shades of brown, red, orange and golden. All of the trees had emptied themselves of their burdens, it seemed, but one. There, in the midst of all the signs of the coming winter, was a sapling, barely even worthy of the name 'tree', with one stray leaf still hanging on its bare branches. This last leaf had not yet faded, and was still shaded a brilliant green, it was the last noticeable sign of the leaving season.

It was this lovely emerald leaf that caught Tohru Honda's aquamarine eyes as she strolled down the deserted street. This solitary thing, nothing more then an inch or two long, instilled in the young woman's heart a sense of hope, momentarily depleting the dread that had filled her belly, making her near nauseas. As she passed before the small sapling, the leaf dropped, almost on command, from its branch, falling gracefully into Tohru's waiting palm.

Tohru stared blankly at the little thing, her long fingers twitching with nerves. Allowing her eyes to shut quickly, she folded her palm tightly shut, enclosing thepetal safely as she drew her hand up to her heart.

"Thank you, Mom. I know what I have to do now."

To Tohru, this little thing, nothing more then a mere leaf, was her mother, giving her guidance, hope and support. This was a gift from the heavens. Everything seemed so much clearer to the young woman as she rounded a corner, edging closer and closer to the Sohma estate, where she was to meet with Akito, the head of the Sohma family. This leaf encompassed all of her memories of the past three years spent with the Sohma's. With Yuki, Kyo, Shigure, Momiji, and all the others. Without opening her eyes, Tohru extended her arm and raised it to the sky. Opening her palm slowly, theemerald jewelwas picked up and carried away by the wind. As if it had come to life, the leaf quivered in the air, pulled along down the street by an invisible string until it was no longer visible.

Tohru opened her eyes and began walking with renewed vigor. Her aquamarineorbsbetrayed only a sense of determined hope, and she no longer chewed her lip absentmindedly. The only part of her body that betrayed her nervousness, her true feelings, was her hands, which she had shoved into her pants pockets to hide their obvious restlessness. Despite the calmness that had just enveloped her, it could not deplete all of her unease, and with each step drawing her closer and closer to the Sohma family estate, the dread and nervousness she had been feeling before was slowly coming back to her.

Turning a corner, Tohru's breath caught in her lungs and she was forced to stop for a moment. This was the street. The gate that enabled her to enter the Sohma estate was mere yards away, in plain view. Letting out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding, Tohru slipped her hands out of her pockets and eyed the towering wire gate timidly.

"Be brave, Tohru. Mom could have done this easily. Just walk."

Forcing her legs to move, Tohru took one step, then two, then three, until she was near running to the entrance of the Sohma estate. Skidding to a halt in front of it, she pushed the intercom button, clenching her eyes shut tightly as a loud voice rang out from the speakers.

"Yes? Sohma Estate, how may I help you?"

It took her a moment before she could respond, "Uhm… Yes, this is Tohru Honda; I'm here to see Aki-" Thankfully, the voice cut her off before she could say his name.

"I'm opening the gate. Someone will meet you when you walk in."

Slowly, the elegant wire gate swung open, revealing dozens of clean buildings with perfectly shaped roofs and beautifully kept courtyards. This was the Sohma Family estate.

Tohru blinked, smoothing her honey colored hair with her hands, and took a step forward.

'For Kyo.'