Hello readers! I know I took a little longer to update. Sorry. My sister had her baby a week ago, and I just had sinus surgery! Anyways, that's my excuse. But here's another chapter! And to everyone who is worried about Tohru and curious to what's going on with her, she will make an appearance in the next chapter! I promise I will update as soon as I can.

Stabbing Immortal Regrets

Chapter Seven

The Scrapbook

It had been two weeks since Miku and Takumi had found out about the zodiac curse. Hatori had called Hatsuharu and explained what the head of the family had said.When the girls had gotten home, the cow had relayed the part of the message that said their friends could keep their memories. He couldn't tell them the rest. Kita would kill him.

Kari and Sora had been going to the twins house often, to work on the school project. It was their last day to work on it, and the siblings mother had gone on a business trip with a command that no friends would be allowed in the house while she was gone.The teenagers settled on going to Kari and Sora's apartment. They met up after school and started to walk there.

"So," Miku said. "You're living with your older cousin, ne?"

"Yeah," Kari said.

"Is he a member of the zodiac too?" Takumi asked.

Sora nodded. "Yup. He's the cow. Zodiac members can only be raised by other zodiac members, but for no more then ten years."

Kari looked at the twins. "For the first ten years of our life, we were raised by our aunt and uncle. Our uncle was the rooster. Their son, who is a couple of years younger then us, is the boar."

Miku snapped her fingers. "And six years ago, you had to go live with Haru-san, right?"

The cousins nodded. Sora sighed. "But he works until six. He might bring home take-out, though. We told him you guys were coming over."

Kari grinned. "He's excited to meet you. He says you guys sound cool."

They soon arrived. Sora pulled out her key and let them in. They walked into the fairly simple apartment.

"So," Takumi said. "Where are we going?"

Sora bit her lip mischieviously. "Haru-san's room."

Kari shot her a look. "No way. You've heard the stories."

Sora shrugged. "He won't find out."

Miku looked at them. "Uh, what stories? What are you talking about?"

Sora shrugged. "They say that Haru-san has an insane black side that comes out when he snaps. But we've never seen it."

Kari glared at her cousin. "That doesn't mean we won't! We aren't supposed to go in there!"

"Oh come on, Kari, he has to be hiding something in there. Aren't you the least bit curious?"

"Sora, have you ever seen a rampaging bull on TV? I bet you that is what it's going to be like."

Sora rolled her eyes. "You tell me something. What's more dangerous? A cow or a tiger?"

"You're insane!"

"I'm a little curious," Miku said.

"Yeah," said Takumi.

"Then it's settle," Sora declared. "We're going in!"

They dragged Kari with them.

The cow's room was pretty simple. Their was a folded up futon in the corner, a dresser in another, and a bookshelf. Sora walked over to it. Kari bit her lip. "I want my mom."

Sora shot her a look. "You don't even know your mom, retard."

Takumi looked at Kari. "You don't?"

Kari shrugged. "She wasn't emotionally stable enough to even see me. I think she was brainwashed by Akito."

Miku looked up. "Akito?"

"The previous head of the family," Sora said, looking through books. "And Kari's father. He died before she was born." He hand stopped at a rather large brown book. "High school scrap book?"

Kari turned. "Haru-san's high school scrapbook?"

Sora took it down. "If I'm not mistaken, he went to the same high school your mom went to. And Yuki-sama, Momiji-san..."

"And the cat," Kari whispered. "Not to mention Auntie and Hanajima."

They all sat against the wall. Sora placed her hand on the cover. "I... I'm not so sure I want to open it."

Kari bit her lip. "Just do it."

Sora opened it slowly. There was a picture on the title page. She gasped.

"Look... is that Haru-san?"

Kari laughed. "Look at auntie! She looks like she's about to kill someone!"

Sora stared at it. "That must be Yuki-sama." She paused at a face that looked full of frustration. "The cat."

Kari locked her eyes on a happy face that was full of life.

"I think that's my mom."

Suddenly, they heard the door open. They all looked up.

Miku looked at her watch. "It's only four-thirty. I thought he wasn't going to be home till six!"

Sora ran to the bookshelf, returning that which she took. They all turned to leave and froze.

There was a man standing in the doorway. And it wasn't the cow. He wore a tight black jacket with identical sweats. He had long silver hair tied back in a medium-high pony tail. His eyes were made of ice.

Kari's lip quivered as she whispered, "Yuki-sama."

Rumors said that after Akito had taken Tohru, the rat had joined an infamous South Korean assassin company. He had quickly risen to the top position, and the only one he made any contact with at all anymore was the cow. Haru-san had always said that Yuki-sama was the best martial artist he had ever met. Still, it wasn't a path the cow thought he would take.

The rat glared at the teenagers. "Where is he?"

Sora stared at him wide-eyed. "He get's home from work at six."

The rat looked around and gave them a wicked grin. "You aren't supposed to be in here, are you?"

They didn't need another hint. They darted past the killer and buried inside the girls room. Takumi could feel the mans cold eyes piercing through him even after they shut the door.

Miku looked at the cousins. "Who was that?"

Sora took a deep breath. "That was Yuki Sohma, the rat. He's an assassin."

Takumi looked at them. "He was in the book. He looked so different, though. He just looked like a harmless kid in the picture. But out there..."

Kari shook her head. "First time I've seen him in person. I probably wouldn't have been so scared if I hadn't just gotten caught." She punched Sora in the arm.

The friends worked on their project for awhile. Before they knew it, they were finished. They heard a knock on the door. Sora bit her lip. "Come in..."

The cow walked it looking angry. "I have food," he said in a tone that made them all follow him without a word. They all sat down at the table. The rat was leaning against a wall. Haru stood next to him.

"We have one rule," he said. "One rule in this house. And you broke it."

The rat had a budweiser in his hand. He took a drink of it. The cow continued.

"There are things in there that you cannot see."

Sora stood. "But why not? Why-"

Haru slammed his hands on the table. "Because Kita would beat the shit out of you, and maybe even kill Kari! Do you want that to happen? Do you know what he can do? Do you have any idea what he's done!" He smashed the table in half. Sora sat back down, tears in her eyes. Kari and Miku were shaking. The cow took a plate and smashed it on the floor. "Do you want your friends to get hurt?"

Yuki looked at him. "Haru... you need to calm down. They only looked at that scrapbook. It won't be like RIn-"

Haru shot him a death glare. "Do NOT talk about her. Don't even mention her."

Yuki looked at Sora and Kari. "Walk your friends home. Everything will be fine when you get back. He's just gone black. I'll take care of it."

The four friends ran out the door, leaving the fight behind them.

Sora shook her head. "You were right, Kari. I'm sorry."

Miku let out a weak laugh. "I'm guessing he's not usually like that?"

"Never," the cousins said in unison.

Takumi bit his lip. "If he's an assassin, Yuki I mean, why is he here?"

Kari shook her head. "It can only mean one thing."

Sora nodded. "God is calling the zodiac back together."

Miku touched Kari's shoulder. "Why now of all times?"

Kari shook her head. "I have no way of knowing. But I don't think he's doing it for a good reason."

Takumi bit his lip as he looked at the tiger. "You seem afraid of him. So do you, Sora. Why?"

Sora shook her head. "Let's just say he's... angry, all the time. And he isn't very nice."

Takumi stared at Kari with concern. She had started shaking. He had a feeling there was something the girls didn't want to say. However, he decided that the girls had a right to keep what they felt a secret, so he didn't ask.

They got to the twins house, said their goodbyes, and the snake and the tiger headed home. Sora bit her lip.

"You still haven't told them," she told Kari quietly.

Kari took a deep breath. "I really don't know how. They might assume we have some kind of similar relationship to theirs, and I can't let them think that. I can't do it yet. I can't tell them about Kita. It would be too... complicated."

Sora nodded. "OK."

When they walked into the apartment, Haru was sitting on the sofa with his face in his hands. Yuki was standing across from him. The cow looked up.

"Hey guys. Um... just be more careful, OK?"

Kari nodded. Sora just looked down. "If it has to be that way."

The girls went to their room. Kari looked out the window. "What do you think Haru-san meant?"

Sora looked up. "What do you mean?"

Kari sat on her bed. "I mean, he talked like Kita had done something... really bad." She layed down.

Sora sat on her bed. "He talked like Kita... was going to do something to Miku and Takumi... but what?"

Kari was quiet for several minutes. Then she spoke. "Do you... think... Kita would really... kill me?"

Sora didn't know how to answer that. In truth, she suspected he would, depending on what she did, but... Kita was so much more different with Kari. If he knew any such thing as favor, he fovored her. Sora didn't understand why that meant he had to be so cruel to her though. She shuddered as she allowed herself to remember New Years.

(New Years)

The celebration was coming to an end without incident. Both girls wondered why, but they decided maybe it was just a lucky year for them. They were dancing, hanging out with cousins and quite frankly having the time of their life. They almost wondered if Kita wouldn't even talk to them.

Perhaps they jinxed themselves.

Kari went into a hall, searching for a restroom. She hadn't been to the mainhouse a lot, only for New Years, so she didn't really know the place. Just as fate would have it, the empty room she walked into was Kita's. She found a restroom and quickly used it. When she walked out, Kita was at the door.

"Hello, little sister," he whispered softly. He shut the door and locked it. Kita was actually a full thirty minutes older then her, but this wasn't the time to be smartellic. She bowed.

"I... didn't know this was your room, Kita-sama-"

He was in front of her in a flash. He flung her to the floor.

"I'm s-sorry!" Kari bawled. "P-please-"

Her pleas were only met with beatings and the god's feral laughter. When all of his energy was gone, he collapsed on her. Kari was somehow concious as he whispered in her ear. "Bleed for me." He had fallen asleep on her, and she had eventually passed out.

Kari awoke the next day in her room. Sora was next to her, her eyes full of worry. Kari told her everything. She never told anyone else.

(Back to present)

When Sora looked over at Kari again, the tiger was asleep. She turned over. She had a feeling something was wrong.

(Chapter Seven, end)

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