Chapter Eight

Arisa Uotani was not one to shy away from hard work. She had grown up in a poor home on a rough end of town, and as a result, had been forced to learn very quickly how to earn her keep and fend for herself. Even as a child Arisa had had to cook her own meals and do most of the grocery shopping for her and her father. She had also tended to the housework and had found herself doing all sorts of chores and repairs that most people would say were not suitable or safe for a young girl. And they were probably right about that, though Arisa had not minded taking on such great responsibilities at the time. Looking back now, however, she found she could not deny that her childhood had been rather hard. Even so, those days had been like a walk in the park compared to what she would later face in her early teenage years.

Growing up, Arisa's father had been her sole guardian. They had never been close, though as time wore on, Arisa found him gradually growing more and more distant from her. When she was ten, he started smoking and drinking, and those habits often resulted in behavior that was...well, less than fatherly-like. Sometimes he would leave the house without telling Arisa. Often, he would be gone for days, and when he returned, would not offer so much as a single word of explanation as to where he had been or what he had been doing. Eventually, Arisa came to accept that this was just the way things were with her father and that he was likely never going to change. But then one day, just a few short weeks after her twelfth birthday, things did change, though not in the way that she had always hoped or expected.

She had run home from school that afternoon with her backpack hoisted up over her head as an umbrella. It had been raining heavily all day, which was only part of the reason why she had shrieked in horror when, upon reaching her house, she realized that someone had thrown all of her belongings out onto the front lawn. Frantic, Arisa had scooped up her items and rushed them onto the porch in order to prevent them from being damaged any further. Once she'd salvaged all that she thought she could, she had stormed back into the house, found her father and demanded to know what he had been thinking, throwing all her crap outside like that, and in the rain, no less. Her father had responded by shrugging his shoulders. Then, avoiding eye contact with her, he told her that she no longer lived in his house. Arisa had felt shocked, angry and hurt by his words, though in truth she had not taken him seriously at first. She knew he meant it, though, when he started yelling and throwing things around the room. Violence. That was yet another negative effect that his habits had on him, especially the alcohol. It turned him into a person that, Arisa knew, he truly was not, deep down. After much arguing, her father had stepped out onto the porch and started throwing her things outside again, and that's when she lost her mind. She had screamed and cried, insisting that she had nowhere else to go. "You're drunk, Dad," she'd kept saying. "You're drunk, and you just need some time to think this over…"

Arisa could still remember the way her tailbone had ached after he kicked her out the door and onto the cold, wet pavement. She still remembered the way the rain had beat mercilessly down on her body, soaking through her school uniform - the only one she had - matting her hair and making her feel heavier than she'd ever felt in her entire life. So heavy, in fact, that for several moments she'd been unable to make herself move or speak.

"B-but Dad," she'd said at last, her voice quivering as she forced herself to turn and meet her father's cold, remorseless gaze. "W-where will I go?"

"Go?" he had spat. "It hardly matters to me. As far as I'm concerned, from this moment on, you're no longer my problem."

Arisa winced at the painful memory of that dark, dreary afternoon.

In the months that followed her banishment from her childhood home, she had had to work ten times as hard as she had before in order to obtain even the most basic of necessities, things like food, clothing and shelter. She had worked a few odd jobs in the beginning, but ultimately ended up seeking the help of local thugs, hoping to find refuge and camaraderie within their gang. Those had been dark times. They had been, without question, the absolute worst days of her life.

But that's all behind me now, she thought as she swung open the door to the downtown 7-Eleven, the small convenience store in which she currently worked. A tiny bell that was attached to the door tingled as she walked in. She cast a small smile in the shop owner's direction and raised a hand in greeting. The shop owner, who was now working the front desk as clerk - Hinako was her name - was an old woman, probably nearing her eighth decade, with dark gray hair that was always tied back in a tight bun. Though she was a serious woman, she had gradually begun to warm up to Arisa over the course of her employment there at the store. It was not uncommon to see her face soften when addressed the young woman. Sometimes, she would even go as far as to cast her a smile, which was precisely what she did that morning.

"Good morning, Uotani," she grunted. "You're in rather early today, aren't you?"

Arisa's grin widened. "Yeah. I need to get a little shopping in before my shift. Is that cool with you?"

Hinako waved a hand in permission, and Arisa glanced briefly at her wristwatch before making her way down the grocery aisle. It was four forty-five AM, which meant that she had about fifteen minutes until her morning shift started.

Just picking up a few things today, she told herself as she stooped and began to browse the snack shelves. Potato chips, cookies, thunder cakes, candy...her mouth watered as she looked over the selections. She would have loved to splurge and buy a load of junk food right then and there. But as it stood, she was in no financial state to even consider doing such a thing. While her part-time job at 7-Eleven was more than enough to cover the expenses of her small studio apartment, she was still on a tight budget and had to watch her spending very closely. But Arisa was all right with that. Of course, it certainly would've been nice to have a little more cash in her wallet, though it was hardly the thing that mattered most to her. No, what mattered most to Arisa was the fact that, now, she was living the sort of life that she knew Kyoko Honda would be proud of.

Dead or alive, I'm gonna make that woman proud, damn it! Arisa thought, laughing softly to herself as she continued to scan over the shelves, looking for a tasty treat or two to snack on. But after a few moments, Arisa realized that she was no longer really looking at what was in front of her. Her vision began to blur as she found herself reminiscing on happier days of the recent past, the days when Kyoko was still alive.

Kyoko Honda had been like a mother to Arisa, the sort of role model that she had never found in her father. In fact, Kyoko had been the one to help her escape the gang she had joined and get her life back on track. Even now, Arisa found that she could still picture Kyoko's face as clearly as though she were standing right there in front of her. That woman was always smiling, and man had it been contagious. Once she'd entered your field of vision, it was like it was almost impossible not to smile back. But that was just the sort of person she was. She was always trying her best to make the world a better place in whatever way she could, even if it was something as small as offering someone a kind, genuine smile. Arisa sniffled, and when she wiped a hand across her face, she felt moisture.

Aw hell, she thought. What am I crying for?

She used her sleeve to wipe the remaining tears from her cheeks, all the while quietly shaking her head to herself in disbelief.

It's been over a year and still not a day goes by where I don't think about her. Man. I can't even imagine how hard it must be on Tohru. I know she puts on a face at school, even for me and Hana-

"Excuse me, miss. I don't mean to be intrusive, but...are you all right?"

Arisa's head shot up at the sound of a voice on her left. She turned, and her gaze was instantly locked on a tall, dark-eyed man with auburn brown hair. He wore a serious expression as he peered down at her, though there was no mistaking the concern in his knitted brow as he patiently awaited her reply. He also, Arisa couldn't help but think, was very handsome, one of the more good-looking customers to shop in her store in quite some time.

Heck, who am I kidding? she thought. This guy is freaking hot.

She tried to ignore that undeniable fact as she gave the stranger a small nod. She pushed a strand of long blonde hair back behind one of her ears. Then, composing herself, she smiled at him, took a deep breath and said, "Oh yeah! I'm fine, thanks. Just reliving some bad memories is all. I'm sorry. Am I in your way?"

She stepped to the side, motioning for the man to take her place. But he shook his head. "No," he told her. "You weren't in my way. I was only wondering if I could help. That is...if you happened to be troubled."

Arisa had to force herself not to chuckle at how awkward and nervous he sounded. Could it be that he thought she was hot, too? Or was he like this with everyone? She quickly shook the thought from her mind. "Nah," she said. "I'm good. Just taking things one day at a time, you know?"

She stopped, laughing weakly as instantly she began to berate herself for what she had just said. Ugh. What a lame thing to say! she thought, though luckily he didn't appear to think so. Or at least, if he did, he certainly didn't show it.

"Yes," he said, offering her a small smile in return. "That's...all any of us can really do, is it not?"

Arisa exhaled, feeling relieved. Score! He doesn't think I'm a total loser yet!

"Yeah," she agreed. "It's the only way to get by without going completely insane. Or at least, that's how it is for me. I don't know about you." She eyed him, taking a moment to more closely examine the details of his attire. He was dressed in a white button-down shirt and a pair of neatly pressed black slacks. In his left hand he carried a leather briefcase. He looked, she thought, like a businessman ready to attend a press conference. The only thing that was missing was a tie.

"You seem to me like you're the type of guy who's got his shit together..." Arisa started to say, though she trailed off as she realized that she was speaking much too freely with him.

Shit. He probably thinks I'm some foul-mouthed piece of trash from Osaka, she thought, though was surprised when she looked up and saw that his smile had widened.

"Is that truly the impression I give?" He turned his head to one side, giving her a look that made her stomach flutter.

"Well," he said, "as much as I hate to ruin your initial misconceptions about me, I must confess that I do not, in fact, have my life together. Quite the opposite, actually."

Arisa narrowed her eyes slightly, fixing him with a skeptical look. "Oh come on," she said, though she made sure to keep her tone lighthearted so that he would know she was only teasing him. "I'm sure you're just saying that to make me feel better. It's okay. I can take it. Go on, tell me like it is. Your life is perfect."

A strange look entered his eyes after she had said that, a look that once again made Arisa want to jam her foot in her mouth. Damn it! Why am I acting like such an idiot?

It briefly occurred to her that it was odd that she cared so much what this random stranger thought of her. But when she tried to make herself brush him off as no one, as she did so easily with most everyone else, she found that she couldn't. Or rather, that she didn't want to.

"Ugh." She sighed, smacking a palm lightly against her forehead. "God, I am so inappropriate sometimes. I'm sorry. I really shouldn't have said that. I was just kidding, though, I swear-"

Gently, he held up a hand to silence her. "It's all right," he said. "No harm done. It's just that, when you said that, for a second there I started to...what was it you said earlier? 'Relive a bad moment?'"

Arisa grinned sheepishly. "Well, I really am sorry. I guess it's wrong of me to assume that anybody's life is perfect, even when they do look the part."

He gave her a small nod of acknowledgment before turning and walking off slowly down the aisle, in the opposite direction of Arisa. She tried not to feel too hurt or disappointed by the abruptness with which he had dismissed her. Her gaze lingered on his back for a moment, though she immediately forced herself to look away and return to the task at hand.

My God, he is really hot, she kept thinking as she distractedly grabbed bags and boxes of food from various shelves that she passed. I don't think I've ever seen him come in here before. Have I? She froze, considering. No. No way. If he had, I totally would've noticed…

About five minutes later she was holding so many groceries in her arms that she could scarcely see where she was going. She began to clumsily make her way toward the register, though was brought to a screeching halt when, suddenly, she felt a hand rest lightly on her left shoulder.

"Hey, that's a lot of food. Do you need a hand?"

Arisa's heart lurched. It was him again. She could tell by the slight nervousness in his voice as he spoke. Shit! she thought. She leaped backward, startled by his touch, and the quick, jerking movement she made caused several items to fall from her pile and drop loudly down onto the floor.

Great. Now he's going to think I'm a klutz. Could this situation possibly get any worse?

She was about to attempt to retrieve her scattered items, though she had only just bent her knees when she felt his hand press more firmly into her shoulder. "I'll get them," he said, and she didn't argue. In truth, she hadn't had any idea how on earth she was going to pick them up and maintain her hold on the groceries still in her arms, both at the same time.

He put the few things that had fallen in a neat stack on top of her pile. A stray strand of hair slowly fell into Arisa's face as she met his eyes. "Err, thanks," she mumbled.

He smiled, though Arisa couldn't help but think that it looked more like a smirk than it did anything else. "It was my pleasure," he said. He turned then, looking almost like he was about to walk away again. Instead, though, he gestured at the front entrance of the store, where several baskets were stacked alongside the door for the convenience of customers. "Would you, perhaps, like me to fetch you a basket?"

Arisa could feel her face reddening. Seriously, Uotani, snap out of it! And why the hell didn't you get a basket in the first place? You dummy.

"I...uh, no, I don't need a basket," she fumbled. "I was just going to check out now, actually."

He made a short, sweeping gesture in the direction of the front counter. "Well then, by all means, allow me to escort you."

She nodded, shuffling over to the register, and he followed closely behind. He looked somewhat calmer now with both of his hands stuffed in his pants pockets. He kept his gaze fixated on their destination straight ahead, not looking at Arisa even once, though their shoulders brushed against each other several times, which was about enough to make Arisa's heart leap right out of her chest. She somehow managed to keep her cool, however, and when at last they reached the register she carefully laid everything out on the counter so that Hinako could ring her out. The elderly woman scowled, though Arisa didn't miss the way she kept looking up, glancing back and forth between her and the incredibly good-looking stranger at her side. Arisa held her breath all the while, hoping that Hinako wouldn't ask questions or make a comment. Luckily, she didn't. She didn't speak at all, in fact, until the end of the transaction.

"All right, Uotani, that's going to be 5029.04 yen today."

Arisa's stomach dropped.

Had she really bought that much? No. There was no way. Or rather, she could've sworn that she'd stayed within her budget...well, then again, she supposed had been rather distracted...

"Uotani?" Hinako's face wrinkled even more as she glared up expectantly at the young woman. "Are you going to pay, or what?"

Arisa sputtered a laugh. "Haha. Oh yeah, no problem! Here." With trembling fingers, she reached into her bag for her wallet. There's no way in hell I can afford all this stuff, she thought in a panic. I'm going to have to put some of it back. Man, this is super embarrassing. I've completely blown any chance that I had with this guy...

She had just pulled out her wallet when, in a flash of movement, a wad of cash was handed over the counter to Hinako. "I think that should cover it," the stranger said, and before Arisa could even begin to process what was happening, the cash register flew open and the sale was completed. As Hinako slowly started to collect his change, Arisa whirled around to face him.

"Hey! What the hell? I didn't ask you to do that!"

He seemed somewhat taken aback by her sudden abrasiveness, though his shocked expression was almost immediately replaced with a cheery grin. "I know you didn't," he said softly. "But I wanted to. You couldn't have stopped me even if you'd tried."

Arisa shook her head, still fuming. "It's not that I don't appreciate it," she told him. "Because I do. But I'm a very proud person. I've had to work hard to get to where I am now, and I don't like it when other people step in and try to baby me. I can provide for myself."

"I have no doubt that you can," he replied as he took his change from Hinako, folded it, and carefully placed it back in his wallet. "I was only trying to be helpful, and to-"

He stopped in mid-speech as suddenly his phone buzzed in his front shirt pocket. Arisa turned away from him to give him some privacy as he opened his phone and read the message. "Well, again, I appreciate the act of kindness," she said. "But really, you didn't need to do that. I'm going to pay you back. And no, you are not allowed to refuse that offer…"

She stopped as she realized that he wasn't even listening to her anymore. He was frowning down at his phone, clearly deep in thought. He seemed to be reading the message over and over again, as though contemplating its meaning. Arisa sighed mentally to herself. A girlfriend, probably, she thought. Figures. He's way too good looking to be single.

"Hey," she said finally in an attempt to break him out of his reverie. "Is everything okay?"

He blinked rapidly. Then, seeing her, he snapped his phone shut and slid it back into his shirt pocket. His face was set with a newfound look of urgency as he regarded her.

Man, she thought. He just did a complete one-eighty. I hope it wasn't bad news.

"I'm afraid I must be going," he said. "Urgent family matters demand my attention. Will you be all right from here?"

Arisa just stared at him. She wished so much that she were quick-witted enough to think of something to say that would make him agree to see her again or, at the very least, get him to tell her more about what it was that was going on with his family. She knew it would be rude to pry, however, so she nodded and said, "Oh yeah. No worries there. I'm an independent girl, remember?"

His lips twitched upward. "Yes," he said, chuckling. "I most certainly do remember."

Their eyes met, and it was during that brief two or three seconds that Arisa thought she saw something in his eyes that indicated that maybe, just maybe, he might have feelings for her, too. But the moment was over almost as quickly as it had begun. He bowed to Arisa and turned to take his leave without even uttering so much as a good-bye.

Arisa opened her mouth, straining for something to say, but when she could think of nothing she sighed and turned back to face Hinako. Much to her surprise, the old woman was gesturing wildly in his direction, urging Arisa to say something, anything that might grab his attention again. "Take a chance, girl," she growled. "What do you honestly have to lose?"

She sighed, knowing Hinako was right, and decided to give it one last shot. "Hey!" she shouted just as he had reached the exit. "Hold up! I didn't catch your name!"

He stopped with the door halfway open. "Kureno," he replied at last. "Kureno Sohma."

Arisa blanched. Sohma? Could he be related to…?

"Seriously?" she said. "Wow. This is going to sound totally nuts, but I think I actually might know some relatives of yours-"

"I'm sorry," he interrupted, "but I really do have to go. It was a pleasure meeting you, Miss Uotani."

The sun had just begun to peek over the horizon as a sound abruptly jerked Momiji Sohma from his sleep. The blonde boy sat up and rubbed his eyes groggily, sighing. He was sorry to have been woken from such a wonderful dream. In it, he had been sitting at a large table with his family. Not the zodiac members, but his real family, his mother and his father and his little sister, Momo. Momiji couldn't remember what exactly they had been doing, but he remembered the way that the dream had made him feel. His mother had been seated next to him, and Momiji remembered how her face had glowed with pride as she'd looked down at him. Her eyes were the same shade of chocolatey brown as his and Momo's, and when she'd laughed, those of hers eyes had danced with joy, a joy that Momiji had never seen reflected in them in real life.

I should've known in that moment that it was a dream, Momiji thought sadly to himself. Of course I should've. Mama would have never smiled at me like that. Not when she knew who I was.

Yawning, the rabbit leaned forward in his bed, stretching so that he could see the time on the clock hanging on the wall across from him. It was just after six in the morning. He didn't really want to get up yet, as he still had several more hours until school started. He was about to lie back down when suddenly he remembered that he had a test in mathematics coming up soon. The rabbit heaved another sigh, knowing that he ought to take advantage of the extra time to do some more studying. Mathematics, while not his worst subject, was certainly not his strong suit either, and Momiji had always made it a point to get good grades, to make his father proud. And, secretly, to make his mother proud, too.

Momiji cast his sheets and comforter aside and stood. He yawned again, then padded slowly across the hardwood floor to his desk, where his mathematics book sat wide open with a pencil sitting on top.

I have to be a good student and study hard, he thought as sat down in his desk chair and began shuffling through his notes. The discomfort of the rigid metal chair was jarring, and he found himself having to fight the urge to close the book, crawl back into bed and return to his blissful dreams. But no, he scolded himself. I have to try my best in school so that I can get a good job, like Papa. Mama loves him, and if I grow up to be like him, there's a chance that she'll be proud of me. Then again, there's a chance that she won't. But I at least have to try, because...because…

Because Momiji had a plan. His father didn't know about it - he would be furious if he did - but someday, after he graduated high school, Momiji swore that he was going to find a way to properly introduce himself to his mother.

She had already met him before, of course, though she didn't have any idea what he truly was to her. No doubt she believed that he was the son of some wealthy businessman who worked in the building that her husband owned. Momiji had seen her a handful of times over the years, walking around the building with little Momo clutching tightly to her skirts. She had always been kind to Momiji, though they'd hardly ever exchanged more than a few polite words. Someday, though, Momiji intended to change that. Someday, he was going to walk up to her and tell her exactly who he was.

Of course, it was Momiji's great hope that she would come to recognize the terrible mistake she had made in erasing her son from her memory. Momiji smiled grimly to himself. It was a happy thought, but deep down he knew how unlikely it was that she would react positively to such a shocking revelation. And that's why it was his goal to polish himself as much as possible between now and then. So that, when she did finally meet him, she might see that she hadn't given birth to something grotesque and unworthy after all. So that she might realize that, beneath the curse, he was nothing more than an ordinary human-being. Momiji knew that he would have no control over the way she responded to him, though in truth that didn't matter so much to him. Not anymore, at least. At this point, he just wanted her to know the truth. More than anything, though, he wanted Momo to know the truth.

He pictured his little sister and the way she always peered so cautiously around her mother, her wide brown eyes blinking curiously up at Momiji. She looked so much like their mother with her long blonde curls and her tiny heart-shaped face. Once or twice, Momiji had thought he'd seen something in her eyes as she was looking up at him: recognition. Realistically, Momiji knew that such a thought was ridiculous. Momo was only a little girl, after all. There was no way that she was looking at him and recognizing the striking resemblance between them. His mother had certainly not recognized any such resemblance, after all. Still, there was a part of Momiji that hoped that one day Momo would look at him, then look in the mirror at herself, and start asking questions. Because he wanted Momo to know that she had a big brother, and that he cared about her very, very much. And if she never managed to figure it out on her own, Momiji promised himself that one day he would tell her. He would have to reveal himself to his mother first, though, and that was going to be the hardest part of all.

Momiji sucked in a deep breath. I can worry about all that stuff when the time comes, he reminded himself. For now, though, I need to make sure that I understand these concepts so that I get a good grade on the test. Maybe I can ask Tohru to help me later...

The thought of Tohru Honda was enough to bring a wide grin to his boyish face.

He was just about to turn his attention back to his studies when, suddenly, he heard a shout from somewhere outside the house. Momiji's head shot up at the noise. That's right, he thought. Wasn't I woken by a noise earlier?

He hurried over to his window and opened it as slowly as he could, squinting against the brightness of the rapidly rising sun. In the distance he spotted two figures walking on a path across the Sohma estate. One was unmistakably Hatori. He was dressed in his usual white doctor's coat, walking slowly alongside a thin man in all black clothing. Momiji's breath caught at the sight of the other man. Oh no, he thought, his mind reeling with panic. Not him. Please, please don't let it be him.

But it was him. Even from such a distance the rabbit could make out the zodiac god's voice, clear as day: "I nearly died out there! Just imagine if that had happened...how horrible it would have been..." He hissed. "How dare she leave me in such a state! How dare she!"

The doctor's reply was tinged with annoyance. "She left you so that she contact me. She may very well have saved your life, Akito. I believe that warrants at least a little gratitude."

Akito stopped dead in his tracks then, and Momiji watched, his heart pounding wildly as Akito turned to face the dragon. His icy blue eyes were wide with what appeared to be a combination of shock, fury, and maybe...possibly...resignation? Momiji couldn't be sure, but just as quickly the look had vanished and the god whirled back around, huffing.

At last he allowed, "Perhaps you are not wrong, Hatori. I've been thinking, and I agree that it is indeed possible that I owe the girl a great deal for her actions this morning. As a matter of fact…" He trailed off, smirking up at the doctor, and Momiji shuddered. Uh oh, he thought. That look almost never means anything good.

"As a matter of fact?" Hatori pressed, sounding only mildly impatient.

The zodiac god put up a hand, motioning for Hatori to stop walking, a command which the doctor promptly obeyed. "I believe," he resumed, "that it is only right that I devise a way to repay Tohru Honda for her kindness. Do you not agree? I was thinking perhaps a gift, or a fine dinner is in order-"

"Oh no." Hatori shook his head firmly. "No, Akito. Such a thing is absolutely out of the question."

The doctor rattled on about why Akito could not possibly see Tohru again anytime soon. Knowing that they were both fully engaged, Momiji took advantage of the opportunity to slip out his door and onto the porch outside. He tiptoed into the grass and leaped behind one of the trees that lined the main pathway of the estate. From this position he could stay hidden and listen more closely to what they were saying. When he tuned back into the conversation he found that Akito was, not surprisingly, attempting to argue against all of Hatori's points.

"-but as you can see, I am in perfectly good health now. So I see no reason why I cannot invite her over as a guest-"

Hatori interjected, "Because, Akito-"

The zodiac god fixed him with an irritated look. "Because you are attempting to shield her from me, as usual. While I do admit that I used to find it amusing, watching you bend over backwards to protect her, I must say that now I am growing rather tired of your constant objections to my simple requests-"

"You've harmed her before, Akito." There was a hint of hostility in Hatori's voice now. "Shielding her from you is merely an act of prudence."

The god snorted at that. "So you say. There's more to it, though. Don't act like there isn't." He fixed the doctor with a knowing look. "It's because she reminds you of Kana, isn't it?"

Momiji pressed a hand to his mouth. He peered around the tree, his gaze instantly locking on Hatori. The dragon's mouth was agape as he turned to stare at Akito in astonishment. A long, heavy silence stretched between them.

Gosh, what an awfully cruel thing to say, Momiji thought, shaking his head. Losing Kana was the worst thing to ever happen to Hatori...poor guy. Can't Akito just leave him alone already?

Much to the rabbit's surprise, however, when Akito resumed his speech he did not sneer, nor did he revert back to his usual mocking tone. If anything, his eyes seemed to soften as he tore his gaze away from the doctor. For a second, Momiji could have sworn he almost looked ashamed.

"You thought I'd never mention her name again, did you?" the god murmured. "No. You probably assumed I'd forgotten her altogether. I haven't, though, and in truth, I likely never will. In vain I have tried, but as it stands, my conscience simply will not allow it."

He paused, as though collecting his thoughts, looking down at his feet. His shoulders began to shake with what Momiji could only presume was anger. The rabbit watched him carefully, feeling very worried for Hatori, though he soon found that he had nothing to worry about. Just when he was afraid that Akito might strike, his body went completely still.

"I don't believe I ever properly apologized to you for my shameful actions that day," he said. "While I certainly would have never allowed you to marry Kana Sohma, the fact of the matter is that I wronged you, Hatori. I wronged you when I robbed you of your sight. I was angry, yes, but that doesn't justify what I did. Out of all my zodiac members, you were by far the least deserving of such a fate. I quickly came to realize this when, after the incident, you continued to show me the same level of faithfulness and devotion that you had in years previous." He chuckled humorlessly. "Yes, despite what I had done to you, you still continued to serve me, and that, I believe, warrants more gratitude than anything."

He turned to face Hatori then, and when he did, Momiji suppressed a gasp. He knew that look. He'd seen it before in his mother's eyes, before she had had her memories erased. Every time she'd spoken of Momiji, he'd seen that very same look in her eyes. It was a look of sorrow. It was a look of the deepest kind of regret.

Could it be, he thought, that Akito might actually feel...sorry for what he did to Hari?

The god stared down at his hands. His long black hair hung in his face like a veil, obstructing his eyes from view as he whispered, "This guilt...I've kept it locked away inside me for years, though I've never had the courage to speak of it. Until now, that is."

Still Hatori said nothing. Momiji knew that normally it annoyed Akito when people remained silent for too long, though in this particular instance it didn't seem to bother him in the least.

"I believe Tohru Honda would be proud," he said, "had she been present to witness my heartfelt confession. I will admit it wasn't an easy thing to do, though a shred of decency can go a long way, or so she has told me." He turned his gaze back on Hatori. "Now then. Do you accept my apology?"

The doctor's face remained expressionless. His eyes darted to the side, his brow furrowing, as though he was pondering how he should answer the god's question. Then, long at last he managed a nod. "Yes, Akito," he said. "I accept your apology. With all my heart."

Inside, Momiji was screaming. Part of him wanted to jump out of his hiding place and protest. No! You can't forgive him for what he did! Not just like that! It was too easy! You don't owe him anything, Hari. He doesn't own you! He doesn't!

But even in his head Momiji's words rang false.

Akito did own the zodiac. He owned them, much as they didn't want to admit it. It was why they would always keep coming back to him no matter what he did. It was why Hatori had continued to serve him, even after he had wounded him so terribly. God spoke, and they listened. God spoke, and they obeyed. It was, in Momiji's opinion, the worst thing about the curse, even worse than transforming into an animal against his will.

Even if Akito is sincere in his apology, he thought. I still don't want Hari to forgive him. Not yet, at least. It just doesn't seem right, that he gets to do that to him and get off so easy...

Momiji shook his head and turned his attention back to Hatori and Akito. He watched as the god nodded curtly, trying to look unfazed, though Momiji could tell that he was quite pleased with himself. "Excellent," he said. "I've no idea what I would have done if you'd said no. I wasn't prepared for such a thing, and I…" He trailed off, lightly touching an index finger to his lips, a thing he often did whenever he was thinking hard about something.

"It occurs to me," he said, "that perhaps I ought to present Tohru Honda with two gifts the next time I see her. One for attending to my health concerns, and another for relieving me of this terrible burden. I did not realize it had been weighing so heavily on me all this time…"

Hatori cleared his throat before speaking. "I think it's wonderful that you've made such a development, Akito," he said, sounding confident, though Momiji did not miss the slight hesitation in his voice as he added, "Although, I can't help but notice that you have been rather fixated on Miss Honda lately. Ever since Kyo revealed his true form to her-"

"Don't you dare," Akito snapped, "spoil this glorious moment by speaking of that wretched creature!"

Hatori paused, looking only marginally surprised by the god's sudden outburst. "Nevertheless," he said, "ever since that day it seems as though you've done nothing but attempt to seek ways to torment and antagonize her-"

"And? What's your point?"

Hatori glared at him. "My point is that you have become obsessed-"

"I am not obsessed!"

The doctor raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Remind me again of all that you've been up to this week. Thus far you have: telephoned her without my permission, invited her to the Main House without first informing me of your intentions, stolen my car twice in order to get to her-"

"I was merely concerned for the well-being of our family! I wanted to make absolutely certain that she is of not threat to any of us-"

Hatori cut him off with a shake of his head. "Somehow I have a difficult time believing that. You didn't seem to be the least bit concerned about her last year, when Shigure first informed you that she was living with him and Yuki in his house. It is only recently that you have become particularly fascinated with her. Forgive me, sir, but I can't help wondering what exactly-"

"It was a test," Akito growled.

The doctor frowned. "What was a test?"

"The cat's revelation. Don't you see, Hari? I never believed that the girl could stomach it. I never thought that she could handle the full truth of the zodiac curse. I never thought she would accept us, once she found out what we really were, least of all the cat. But I was wrong. Against all odds, she passed the test. Then, several days later, when she called on me at the Main House, I decided to test her again. I showed her why it is that you all are so fearful of me. I showed her what the curse has made me - this fiend, this utterly vile, loathsome creature who harms his own family and finds joy in doing so. But still she did not run. Still she did not spit in my face and tell me what a monster I was. It was then and only then that I knew I had lost."

"That you had lost what?" Hatori asked.

Akito's reply was so quiet it was almost inaudible: "Your favor."

Hatori opened his mouth as if to protest, but Akito waved him off. "Oh come now, Hatori, there's no point in trying to deny it. You love her. All of you do. As soon as I had fully realized this, I knew that I had no choice but to find some way to turn you all against her - to find a reason, any reason, to continue to hate her. Because if I did not, I knew that it would only be a matter of time before…"

Momiji held his breath, waiting, though the god seemed either unable or unwilling to finish his thought.

"Before what, Akito?" Hatori demanded. "What is it that you're trying to tell me?"

The zodiac god sighed heavily. "I...oh, never mind," he mumbled. He pressed the back of his hand to his forehead and started walking again. "My, it's getting hot out here. I suppose that's a sign that I ought to turn in and get some rest. Do you not agree?"

Hatori watched him warily, as though contemplating whether or not he ought to press the issue. But before his hesitation could be noticed he nodded and said, "Yes. That sounds like a most excellent idea."

They both continued on their way toward the Main House, and Momiji sunk to the grass. For several minutes he sat there with his back against the tree, hugging his knees to himself, mulling over everything that he had just heard.

Akito was sure talking a lot about Tohru. I think Hari's right. He's become obsessed with her, and...and that scares me. I know he's hurt Tohru before, but what if he's planning to do it again? No, what if he's planning to do something worse? What if...His tiny hands curled into fists on his knees. No, I can't even think it. I've gotta warn Tohru! Now!

He stood, ready to race back into his house, but that's when a voice behind him spoke.

"Momiji? Is that you?"

The young boy whirled around and gasped as he found himself standing face to face with Kureno Sohma, the rooster of the Chinese zodiac - or, well, ex-rooster, to be more precise. Momiji only referred to him as such in his thoughts, though, as Akito had strictly forbidden anyone in the family from acknowledging that he was no longer part of the zodiac.

For a moment Momiji could do nothing but gape at the ghost in front of him. Two years. It had been almost two years since Kureno's zodiac curse had been lifted, meaning that it had also been two years since anyone in the family had seen him.

Why has he come back now, after all this time? Momiji wondered.

He still remembered the day he'd learned that Kureno's curse had been broken. Everyone had been shocked, if not a little upset by the news, though no matter how much Momiji had pried, no one had seemed to be able to tell him how or why it had happened. It just...had. Momiji didn't know many of the details surrounding the event, but he did know that Akito had, unsurprisingly, been furious about the whole thing. Apparently, he'd immediately summoned Kureno to his room and demanded that the ex-rooster continue to go on living as though nothing of consequence had occurred. But Kureno had refused, and had even gone as far as to tell Akito that he was leaving town altogether, regardless of whether the zodiac god liked it or not. The rumor was that Akito had rushed at him then in a rage, but had been swiftly apprehended and dragged away by Hatori, all the while kicking and screaming and angrily declaring that, "It isn't fair! It isn't fair!"

What isn't fair? Momiji had wondered after hearing of the incident. But that had been many years ago. Now that Momiji was older and - he liked to think - wiser, he found that he knew perfectly well what it was that Akito had been so upset about that day.

He wasn't angry at Kureno for leaving us. Not really, anyway. No, he was angry because he was jealous.

When Kureno's curse broke, it meant that he got to live a normal life. Momiji had slowly come to realize this over time. And that, I bet, is what Akito most wants. It's what any of us most want, really.

"Momiji? Are you all right?"

Momiji blinked up at Kureno, who had his head tilted downward slightly as he regarded the rabbit with an almost fatherly-like concern.

"Um. Yeah, I'm all right," Momiji replied as he absentmindedly began to scratch the back of his neck. "It's just that...wow. I guess I'm surprised-"

"To see me here?" Kureno nodded slowly. "Yes. I must admit I'm rather surprised to be here myself. But I received a message from Shigure earlier this morning, a message that I simply cannot ignore, much as I might want to."

"A message?" Momiji squeaked. "What kind of message? Is...is everything okay?"

Kureno ignored him. "I'd love to stay and talk, but I'm afraid I really must be going. It was nice to see you again, Momiji. Please tell your father I said hello."

He started to walk away, but Momiji wasn't about to let him get away so easily. "Hey, wait!" he called, holding up a hand. "I want to go with you-"

Kureno turned on him sharply. "I think it's best you don't."

"B-but I-"

"Akito has fallen ill again, and from what I understand, he may very well be nearing his end." He paused, wincing slightly, though Momiji did not get the impression that Kureno was the least bit pained by the words he had just spoken. If anything, it appeared as though the ex-rooster was simply fighting to retain his composure. "That being said," he quickly continued, "he is not a person that is to be underestimated; I don't think I need to remind you of the kinds of things that often occur when he finds himself unable to control his anger."

Momiji shuddered, thinking of Hatori. Kureno nodded approvingly at his reaction. "Yes," he said. "Akito is a dangerous man, and children like you ought to avoid being in his company at all costs." He turned on his heel and began to walk away. His voice sounded distant and monotonous as he said, "Run along and play, Momiji. You'll be much safer for it."

He continued down the path then, and Momiji stared after him, open-mouthed, feeling partially hurt by the ex-rooster's immediate dismissal of him - Who was he calling a child? Didn't he know that he was in high school now? - but mostly shocked by what he had just heard.

Akito was dying? Somehow Momiji doubted that was true. On the off-chance that it was, though...what would such a thing mean for Momiji, and for the rest of the zodiac? What would happen to them? Would they all become like Kureno? Would their curses be lifted when their god died? Or would they simply continue to be as they were, forever and for always, until the moment of their deaths? Had Kureno been the only lucky one?

Momiji watched him disappear into the Main House. As selfish as it was, the rabbit often found himself praying that one day, against all odds, the rest of the zodiac curses would be lifted...even if it meant that Akito had to die in order for it to happen.

Guilt prickled at him as he reluctantly allowed himself to finish that thought. I'm sorry, Akito. I know that you didn't ask for this. None of us did. In fact, I bet that if it weren't for the curse, you'd be a decent person. Maybe even more than decent, given everything I just heard you say to Hatori…

He shook his head quickly back and forth as his eyes burned with the threat of tears. He couldn't let himself cry, and he certainly couldn't allow himself to wish death upon anyone, not even Akito. No, if there was a way to lift the curse, then Momiji wanted all of the zodiac curses to be lifted, even god's. But was such a thing even possible?

I certainly hope so, he thought. Someday, somehow...I hope we all can be delivered from this terrible curse. And maybe then, on that day…

Maybe then, he would finally have the courage to face his mother and his sister. At last, maybe then, everything would begin to feel all right again.