A/n: I wrote another chappie! Yay! XBowsX Most of this was written at school during various times, and when I got home I typed it and added some stuff, so I hope you like it. I was so happy cuz I got three reviews for the first chappie! 3 They inspired me to continue with this, so thanks for reviwing if you did! It means a lot to me, so review on this chappie, too! XWinkWinkX I don't really know where this story is going...I have a vague plot planned out in my mind but I don't know if that's where it will end up, cuz the characters tend to have minds of their own...XMumbleMumbleX But it's okay, cuz even I'm surprised with what I write! xD There will be another chappie, but I don't know when it will be written...I'm totally swamped at school. So...If I don't write in awhile, don't give up on me! I'll just have to make the next one extra good! ; ) Sorry this is short! (Yeah...I talk a lot...bleh. xD)

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"Haru", she mumbled fitfully, caught up in yet another nightmare that seemed to constantly plague her unconscious mind. She kept running toward him, only to have him slip further away every time she tried to regain lost ground.

"Come back!", she called out in a voice that was not her own as she dashed madly to reach him, his serene smile bouncing off the walls that seemed to be closing in faster with each passing second. He turned, his back facing her as he walked over the edge of darkness just to slip into the unknown realm below.

As if a movie speeding up from slow motion, she suddenly reached where Haru had been standing moments before and looked down into the pit of enveloping solitude that seemed to throw all her frustrations back at her.

Inhaling sharply, she paled at what she saw- Two hauntingly coal black eyes that seemed to taunt her defiantly staring up at her amidst the darkness, never blinking, never leaving her face, always watching. She knew that set of eyes. Akito. So beautiful and cold, manipulative and calculating. She knew that he had got Haru. This realization was more than she could bear. Aktio's eyes seem to smirk at her, laughing at her helpless form as her breathing came out in gasps, slowly suffocating the life out of her. His eyes seemed to be coming to get her, enveloping her, weighing her down, killing the people that she had ever dared to love. Faster, faster, they came toward her, until they were almost on top of her as she screamed-

"No!", she yelled, bolting up in bed. Cold sweat poured off her face as she looked around frantically.

"Where am I?", she panted, scanning the area with her eyes for some clue. The room was dark, the only light pouring in was the moonlight that streamed through an open window at the far end of the wall. She couldn't see much, but she could hear the beeping of the various machines that she was now hooked up to. Her arms were numb, and she was shaking, but she was otherwise okay. The last thing she remembered was seeing Ren and asking her if she knew how to break the curse. "Yes. I know how."

Those words had sparked what little hope that she had left. If Ren really knew…She closed her eyes, thinking how nice it would be, even if it was just wishful thinking. Laying back on the firm pillows she had been provided, she remembered her dream. Her nightmare. It had all been so real. It made her realize that now, more than ever, was not the time to be depending on Haru. The danger was all to real, and Haru would end up hurt, or worse, blinded by Akito. Their ever loving god. She knew that he would follow through with his threats, and that's why she had to protect Haru more than ever now by keeping her feelings to herself. She couldn't allow him to be close to her. She did everything for him, all of this…all for him, so he could be free. So he would be happy. If he saw that she really did love him still underneath everything that she had been through, then he would want to be with her. And being with her would only result in him getting hurt. So he could never see. Whenever asked about it, she would deny it feverently, usually ending up threatening whoever it was that had brought it up. Word gets around quick, especially at the main house and to Akito, and he could never know. Never.

"Rin!", Haru yelled as he slammed open the door and stood there, out of breath. "Are you okay? I heard a sc-", he started, walking toward her. (A/N-It too him so long cuz his room is on the other side of the dojo…and he had to put on pants. xD Don't ask. Any who, continuing…)

"No! Stay back! Don't come near me!", she screamed, inching away from the edge of the bed that he was steadily approaching. He stopped, face void of emotion as he just stood there, staring at her.

"Why are you still here? Go! Go away! Shoo!", she demanded as he ignored her, pausing to think something over as he started walking towards her again.

"Stop! Stop! Don't come any closer! I'll…I'll kill you!", she threatened, her voice becoming slightly more high-pitched than usual as he ignored her and kept inching steadily closer to her bedside.

She searched for something to throw at him, but their weren't any weapons to be found. (When I wrote this, I couldn't stop laughing for some reason. Haha. D) He stopped when he reached her, still staring at her silently as her eyes widened in panic and fear. She was like a wounded animal caught in the headlights as he sat down very gently on the edge of the bed; It creaked slightly as silence reigned over the two, each afraid to go any further than the other one would allow.

"Stop it", she whimpered. "Stop…loving me", she pleaded, voice filled with such emotion and longing that it made Haru want to take her in his arms and comfort her. But that bridge had been burned long ago, and whether or not she would let him was another matter entirely. So he simply brought his shaking hand to her pale face, his almost symbolic gesture meaning more than words ever could as she gazed into his saddened eyes, his features chiseled with worry. He really did look older than his sixteen years, she thought idly. She couldn't hurt him anymore. She couldn't live with herself if something happened to him…all because of her. She was so tired of it. So tired. Her hand came up, quickly and forcefully, coming down across his face in one swift movement. His head snapped to the side from the impact of the slap, eyes never widening as he expected just as much from her in this state.

"I'm-"

"Out! I don't need you anymore! I don't want you! You mean nothing to me! NOTHING!", she screamed, her hand still stinging from the blow as Haru slipped out quietly and shut the door, never looking back at her.

Once again, the room was penetrated by silence.

Rin laid there, wincing every so often when sharp pains shot down her side from her ulcer. No one had come to see her yet, besides Haru, but now she at least knew that she was at Kazuma's dojo…It was the only place that she could possibly be. But how did she get here? Did Ren bring her back? No, she wouldn't have. She remembered warm fingertips and faint whispering. "You'll be okay, Rin. You'll be okay." Haru. But how had he known where she was? Was he spying on her for Akito? Such thoughts made her shiver. She knew that he would never do that. He would never play more into this then he had to.

It must have been Kureno, the meddling rooster. He told Haru where she had gone, she was sure of it. She couldn't stay mad at him, though. After all he helped her through…getting out of the cat's rooms, bringing her to the dojo…If Haru hadn't showed up, she didn't even know if she'd be alive right now. Some renegade thought told her that maybe she didn't want to be. She pushed that aside, startled by it's blunt logic. She had been through hell, yes, but she would never give up. Not as long as Haru needed her. Not as long as he was still cursed. She had come too far to just quit. That thought wasn't acceptable.

Still, she hated Haru seeing her so weak and frail. She was supposed to be strong, the one who would break the curse, and instead she couldn't even stand up on her own. Pathetic. She was pathetic. Everyone that she had ever loved didn't love her back. The one person that she did love, she couldn't be near because she would only hurt him. Akito was right about that one thing. If she couldn't be with him, at least he could be free. She would never believe that it was a fools dream. It could be beat, and she would be the one to do it.

Her body was becoming more weak, though…Her strength was waning and she was having difficulty doing the things she was once able to do with ease. Her sanity was going ever so slowly, to…In and out of various hospitals, restraints and everything else to tie her down because she was "difficult." Yes, she had ran away from it all, knowing that she would possibly not survive on her own, but it was better than being places that she loathed. So cold, so silent. Just like her childhood had been.

It hurt to see everyone around her being hurt, which made her lose hope ever so slowly until she had been so far down in her self despair that she didn't ever think that she would make it out. And now she was back at the dojo, where her "new" life had begun…This wasn't right. She didn't need to be here because she hadn't figured it all out yet. She couldn't start over…She had to talk to Ren. She had to or she would go insane. If Ren knew how to break the curse…It would change everything. It would change her.

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Oh! Poor Haru! Sniff (lol) Review...If I don'tget anyinspiration and support, I might not continue...

Poll: Who would you want a plushie of?

1.) Haru

2.) Rin

3.) Ayame

4.) Shigure

My vote is Haru! tehehe XTwitchX