Hi, this is my second fanfic! I hope you enjoy it! However, moment of warning: I have created a new character, and unfortunately Tohru is no longer the main character in this story. But, she is still important, and i hope you'll still like it anyway.

ALSO! I have a "problem", and I would appreciate it if you would tell me which character you like better, Kyo or Yuki. Thank you!

Well, that being said...plz R&R, and enjoy!

CHAPTER 1

"Um…hi. My name is Lakukeshi Takai, and I just moved here from America." A pale, black-haired girl said with an accent.

All the guys in the class started muttering and put on their "macho" looks from the pretty exchange student. Only Yuki and Kyo stayed silent. They were looking at Hana, who had that suspicious look on her face whenever she detected strange waves. Wondering why this new girl made Hanajima look so troubled, Yuki and Kyo looked at the girl, and immediately blushed.

As he turned pink, Yuki smiled at the girl, who immediately lokoed away.

"She has been…killed" Hana's voice suddenly interrupted his thoughts.

"What! Killed? Are you crazy? She's standing right in front of me!" Kyo scowled.

Hana swung her gaze over to him, and he flinched.

"No. What I mean is…she has been beaten. Can you not detect the waves emitting from her? She is full of sorrow, anger, and regret. Can't even you, the ignorant Kyon-Kyon, see that she is withdrawn?"

Kyo quickly grew serious. "How do you know?"

"Look in her eyes." Hana snapped, her hair fluttering slightly in the wind that came through the open window.

Yuki looked at Lakukeshi. Now that Hana metioned it, her eyes did look…dead. Looking closer, he could see a faint jagged scar twisting all the way down her left arm.

All of a sudden, the teacher accidentally bumped into her.

"Ah!" Lakukeshi fell to the floor. Her legs lay sprawled, revealing a mass of scars and bruises.

"NO!" Lakukeshi jumped up and ran out the door, leaving commotion and noisy chaos behind.

"Ding!" the bell rang, signaling the end of school.

"Yuki-kun! Kyo-kun!" Tohru waved her arms crazily at the front of the entrance.

A little while later, they were walking down a beaten path to Shigure's house.

"Oh! You're home!" Shigure cheerily called while he ran past the door, closely chased by Mii (his editor.)

Yuki sighed. It seemed like everyday they came home to chaos. Dropping his case on the floor, he swept out of the house. Walking down the road, he noticed that there seemed to be a huddled figure in front of a cheap, tacky apartment that had been bought just yesterday. His pace quickening to a run, he thought,

Could it be Takai-san?

Astonished, he stopped in front of the dirty and tattered girl. She was hunched over on her knees, and her dark black hair hung in her face.

"Takai-san?" Yuki couldn't believe that he was even here asking.

The girl lifted her head and struggled to her feet. "What? Don't call me 'Takai-san'. I don't want any relation to that silly uncle of mine." She snapped.

Yuki, taken aback that she could even stand considering her scratches and bruises, glanced at her left hand, which had a fresh cut with blood oozing out.

"What?" Lakukeshi caught his glance. "Oh. That was partly my fault. I shouldn't have come home so early. I should have known Uncle wouldn't have been happy…"

"Lakukeshi…kun?" Yuki asked, aware that the girl he was talking to was being abused.

"What?" Don't give me pity. I don't need it." Lakukeshi muttered, looking away.

"Come with me. You can't stay here, being beaten like this." Yuki proposed.

"I said I don't need your pity, so just-'' Lakukeshi broke off suddenly and gasped. Holding her stomach with one hand, she collapsed to the ground.

"Come on. I'll take you to the Sohma house." Yuki didn't wait for an answer. Feeling extremely stupid, he scooped her up in his arms, careful not to hug her. The last thing he needed was for Lakukeshi to find out he was cursed.

LATER

"Yuki. You understand that Akito will probably be most displeased." Shigure sighed, running his hand through his hair.

Yuki said nothing. Hatori had come over to take care of Lakukeshi, and Tohru was cooking dinner.

"Ah! Here Hatori comes now!" Shigure paused.

"She is in a dangerous state. Many of her scars will not go away. Her stomach has a large bruise, and a jagged scar on her shoulder had reopened." Hatori said, sighing as he massaged his aching temples.

At that moment, Kyo came in. "Does she know our secret? Why did you bring her here anyway, you stupid rat?"

Yuki didn't reply. He got up and walked out of the house. After all of this confusion, he needed some time to think at his secret base. Walking down the path, he as startled to see Lakukeshi crouching down beside the garden.

"Lakukeshi-kun! What are you doing? You should be at home, resting!"

She looked up. "Oh…it's OK. I'm fine, really. I wanted to thank you for bringing me here and everything. I…I really appreciate it."

Taken aback, Yuki smiled and shrugged. "It was nothing. Now let's go back. You need to rest."

"No, I'll walk by myself. You stay here; please don't go into the trouble for me." Lakukeshi protested, and she walked down the path.

A while later, Lakukeshi cursed. As much as she hated to admit it, she was lost in this god-forsaken forest. Suddenly, as she walked by a towering tree with hanging branches, a hand reached out and grabbed her shoulders.

Well, that's it for the 1st chappie! Hope you enjoyed!