"And when I dream, I know her face
But the mist obscures my way"
Spiral (Cruxshadows)

Distance

"Talking"

'Thinking'

Stressed
The wind softly blew as Tohru happily walked through the park. She noticed that Kyou was slightly grumpy. Tohru chuckled when she remembered that he was always slightly grumpy. She had been restless and had announced that she was going out since there was no school. Shigure mentioned perverts and Tohru had instantly frozen. She had then countered that there were no perverts in broad daylight. Shigure then had made up some story of a girl that had been kidnapped. Yuki had smacked him and Kyou promptly pulled Tohru out of the house and offered to walk with her.

Tohru sighed and glanced at him out of the corner of her eye. His hands were stuffed in his pockets and he wore a frown. She sadly smiled and wondered if he didn't want to be here. Tohru sighed and wandered off the path and into the woods where there was a small lake. Kyou raised an eyebrow, but followed her. Tohru walked to the edge of the lake and kneeled beside the crystal water. Kyou stood next to her and watched her.

She reached out and ran her right hand along the lakes cool surface. A shiver spread through her body as she dipped her fingers in the lake. Kyou watched her as she remained in her surreal silence. The sleeve on her shirt tugged up and revealed the bracelet that she never took off. An eyebrow rose as he wondered about that bracelet. Whenever she transformed from animal to human, she was quick to put it back on. Sometimes he caught her stroking the bracelet with a faraway look. She would roll the beads between her fingers and sigh. Then she would settle for just lightly touching the surface of the bead.

"Do you like the lake?" Tohru softly questioned.

He continued to stare out at her bracelet. A quick blink and his mind was back to working again. His garnet eyes landed on her and he saw her smiling. It occurred to him that she had said something.

"Do you like the lake?" Tohru repeated with a knowing smile.

"Oh…yeah…I guess," he replied with a shrug.

"I love the lake…but sometimes water makes me sick," Tohru admitted.

Kyou remained silent as he watched her. She let her fingers dance in the water. It never occurred to him that the spirits inside of her affected her body. Sure, they changed her moods and body, but he didn't think there would be side affects. His eyes strayed back to the bracelet and he wondered why she kept it on.

"Tohru," Kyou softly said. Tohru stood up in slight confusion and looked over to him.

"Eh?" She questioned as he tilted her head.

"Why do you wear that bracelet?" Kyou questioned.

Her calm expression died and she gripped the bracelet. He watched her movements and wondered if he had frightened her in anyway. She toyed with the bracelet before sitting back on the ground and gazing out at the lake with a saddened expression.

"I didn't mean to offend you," Kyou quickly said.

"I know…it's just that this is complicated," Tohru tried to explain.

"Did that guy give you it?" Kyou questioned.

"Sort of…" Tohru sighed as she trailed off.

Kyou nodded as he turned to look off into the trees. She still thought of that guy, and he wondered who 'he' was or is. Kyou turned back around and almost jumped in surprised. Tohru was standing right in front of him and reaching out to him. Her fingers hovered just above his cheek. Her eyes were watery as she continued to gaze up at him. Kyou reached up and pressed her hand to his cheek. His eyes widened at the spark he felt and he could see something deep within his mind.

A clear blue sky and field of green grass was all he could see. White sheets were hanging of a line as they swayed in the wind. Kyou see himself staring at one place. He squinted his eyes as he tried to remember. Suddenly he heard his voice.

"I'll go."

There was no response, but he felt as if there should have been someone there.

"The Onsen…"

He waited for a reply after he mentioned the Onsen.

"I'll go too."

"Since I didn't prepare anything in return, even if that damn rat is coming…I'll bear it and go…"

The one white sheet he was staring at didn't move in the wind like the others. He knew he wasn't talking to the sheet.

"Although it might not matter to you whether I'm coming or not."

He could feel himself beginning to blush. His eyes widened in shock at the silence. There was nothing there, just the sheets, and the wind.

'What was that? Something was missing…in my memory," Kyou thought as he softly found. Kyou remained silent and then looked to see sheepishly smiling.

"You weren't paying attention," Tohru laughed as he frowned.

"What did you want?" Kyou gruffly asked. He was still thinking about that memory.

"I asked you if you were sure about the Onsen trip tomorrow. Yuki is coming with and I didn't want to force you with," Tohru repeated with a small smile.

"I'll go with," Kyou assured. "If I didn't want to be there…then I wouldn't go."

"Thank you," Tohru softly said as she turned back to the lake.

Her hand gently pulled away from his face and rested at her side. She reached to her left wrist and played with the bracelet in thought. Tohru knew Kyou was watching her and she sighed. She could tell him, but not everything.

"The bracelet…you want to know." Tohru stated more then asked.

"You don't have to tell," Kyou seriously said.

"I know that there are thirteen spirits in my body…maybe fourteen if the spirit of the god is within me," Tohru began. Kyou nodded in understanding as she focused her eyes on a ripple in the water. "The cat was never apart of the Zodiac…he was tricked by the rat. The bracelet is to hide the true form of the cat or its…darker form."

"Other form?" Kyou questioned.

"The cat came to hate the rat and eventually its spirit was warped from the hate it felt," Tohru explained.

"What does it look like?" Kyou questioned.

"You'd have to see it…you can't explain it," Tohru softly answered.

Kyou remained silent, he didn't know if there was anything to say. Now he was thinking about the missing person in his memory and Tohru's other form. Kyou looked down to the bracelet and wondered what exactly would happen if it was removed.

'Would she morph into some hateful creature?" Kyou wondered.

"When you change into the other form…do you change?" Kyou questioned.

"No…I'm still me," Tohru sadly assured.

"So that cat doesn't try to control you much?" Kyou asked.

"So full of questions, but the cat never controls me," Tohru assured with a smile.

"Really?"

"Yeah, keeps me company but never controls. He sometimes even helps me push the other spirits back," Tohru explained with a wistful smile.

"They have genders?" Kyou questioned with a strange look.

"No…but I refer to them by the gender of the person that was controlled by them before," Tohru softly said.

"Must be hard," Kyou mumbled.

"It hurts," Tohru whispered.

"What does?"

"Transforming into the cat's other form…it really hurts," Tohru painfully said.

"How will you get rid of them?" Kyou questioned.

"I don't know," Tohru whispered as she griped the bracelet.

The truth was, she was confused. She wanted to be normal again, but she didn't want to lose her link to the Sohmas. The spirits remembered and carried some of their memories. When she was lonely, she would take comfort with the spirits. She would just lie back on her bed and close her eyes. It was just like going asleep, except she was aware of what was happening. The spirit of the cat was the one that would come to her in her mind. He would replay different memories and she would be reminded of why she had to live. The other spirits would threaten her, but the cat was there for her. They were both outcasts…they would always be. Tohru realized a truth once she had lost the Sohmas. The curse separated her from the normal people. Tohru held the bracelet with a endearing touch.

'Even though I know this bracelet hides a secret…I can't help but love it. It connects me to him,' Tohru thought with a smile. When all else failed, she had the cat to comfort her.

"What are you so happy about?" Kyou questioned with his own smirk.

"I'm just counting how lucky I am," Tohru responded with a smile.

"You call being cursed lucky?" Kyou questioned.

"You never used to talk this much before," Tohru observed as he scoffed and looked away. "But I am lucky…I'm lucky because I remember."

"You want to go see a movie?" Kyou suddenly asked.

Tohru looked at him in mild shock. He had changed since the curse was removed, but he still acted the same in some ways. Tohru softly smiled and looked down at her watch. It seemed like they would be going to a late show.

"That would be nice…but I don't have enough—"

"I'll pay…I wouldn't have asked if I wasn't going to pay," Kyou interrupted.

"Does this include popcorn, drinks, and candy?" Tohru questioned with a sparkle in her eye.

"I don't know," Kyou sighed as he ran a hand through his hair.

"I promise not to pick a chick flick," Tohru pleaded with a smile.

"Deal," Kyou quickly said.

"Isn't Mogeta two out?" Tohru questioned.

"Maybe…" Kyou replied with a wary look.

"Fine I won't pick that one, but I want to see that new Inuyasha movie," Tohru sighed.

"At least there's some action," Kyou mumbled as he nodded.

"Then let's go!" Tohru happily cheered.

She quickly grabbed his hand and began running out of the park. Kyou's eyes widened as she pulled him along. He was shocked, but in some discreet way, she always tried to touch him. Kyou turned his hand around so their fingers could intertwine as they ran. He smiled as he began to run faster and listen to her laugh.

Author's Note:

Sorry for the wait, but I wanted to update after the Holidays!
Aya does know about the curse in a way(Shigure blabs!)
cemetarydemon- Get well soon!