If only Yuki had stayed at the main house for five more minutes, maybe to say hey to Hatsuharu or Momiji, he might've caught Usagi and Shigure on their way in. Perhaps if Shigure hadn't asked Usagi if she was certain she wanted to visit the main house twenty-seven times before they left the park, they might've caught Yuki on his way out. Either way, they all ended up missing each other.
One person Usagi and Shigure did not miss, however, was a very blonde and very hyper rabbit who was playing tag with Kisa in the halls. As soon as Usagi hung her coat on the coat rack, she was enveloped in a monster hug.
"AME!" Momiji shouted, loud enough to leave the girl's ears ringing, along with Shigure's. Usagi laughed lightly, returning Momiji's enthusiastic greeting wholeheartedly. Kisa immediately hid behind Shigure, unsure of the girl she'd never met before.
"Kisa, what are you hiding for?" Momiji asked, tugging on the girl's arm. Usagi heard the girl mumble something, which in turn made Momiji laugh. "There's nothing to be scared of, Kisa, Ame is the nicest person ever!"
"Um...it's Usagi now, Miji-chan." The rabbit informed, smiling gently down at the now half-visible girl. She didn't miss the striped ears turned down against the young girl's head. "You must be the tiger, Kisa. I'm Usagi. You can come out now; I promise I won't hurt you."
Usagi knelt down to her level, simply melting at the timid look in the girl's large, brown eyes. She held out her hand encouragingly, urging the girl to take it. Just as Kisa appeared to be stretching her own arm outward, someone pushed Usagi violently from the side, causing her to topple over.
"Leave Kisa alone already. If she doesn't want to talk to you then don't try to make her, stupid. That goes double for you, you dumb rabbit." Usagi looked up at the boy, thoroughly shocked. Shigure, meanwhile, was quite enjoying the show and making no moves to help either side.
"Hiro, don't be mean to Am--er, Usagi! She hasn't been to the main house in years!" Momiji whined, looking down at the sheep disapprovingly. Hiro scoffed, walking to Kisa's side and taking her hand.
"Like I care, she should've stayed away." He snapped. His expression changed to one of pain, however, as a gloved hand connected with the top of his head. Usagi followed the arm up to another familiar face.
"Don't be rude, Hiro. You guys are making too much noise." Hatsuharu's eyes traveled lazily over the group, but as soon as he reached Usagi, they widened considerably.
"Ame-chan?" He asked, disbelievingly.
"Usagi-chan!" Momiji chirped, correcting the ox's mistake. Usagi smiled, nodding an affirmative.
"Well, Usagi, it seems you incite chaos wherever you go! Just like the old days," Shigure sighed wistfully, smiling fondly off into the distance. Usagi sweatdropped at him, accepting Hatsuharu's helping hand and rising to her feet once more.
"So your name is Usagi now?" Hatsuharu asked, over the initial shock and back to his dull tone. The silver-haired girl nodded, smiling softly. "You know who gave you that name?"
"No, I don't." She replied, looking surprised at the question. Hatsuharu smiled ever-so-slightly.
"Yuki did, before they erased his memories. He gave you the name Usagi, for rabbit, but I always thought that Ame suited you better." His slight-smile widened at the blush that appeared on Usagi's cheeks, before asking, "So what brings you to the main house?"
"Ah," Her blue eyes glanced over at Shigure guiltily, before dropping to the floor. "I kind of...wanted to see Akito." Hatsuharu's expression hardened, making Usagi even more nervous than before.
"Usagi, maybe it's a little too soon for that." Shigure suggested. "Besides, Hatori tells me that he's been feeling very tired lately, so he's probably not in the condition to see anyone right now."
"Usagi-chan, play hide and seek with us!" Momiji cried, pulling on the rabbit's arm. The downtrodden expression that highlighted Usagi's face disappeared, and she smiled brightly at the blonde boy.
"That sounds like fun, Miji-chan."
Yuki stared down at his homework, certain that this was the first time he'd been too distracted to work on it. After his visit with Hatori, he had so many more questions and no one else to ask. He'd remembered a name, but there was nothing else to go by; no face, no voice, nothing. Beyond that he knew that if he really had an estranged sister out there of which he had no memory, Akito was somehow involved.
The next question, of course, was why would Akito want to split the two of them up in the first place? Knowing Akito's vindictiveness, it could be any number of things, but as far as he'd known there hadn't been any members of the zodiac that'd been completely ostracized from the family.
'Of course, if memories were erased, who would know?' Yuki told himself, resigning to close his text book and try again later. As he did, he heard a knock on the front door, and paused. Shigure had left hours ago, Tohru and Kyou had gone shopping, and no one ever visited the house. Or at least, no one who bothered to knock first. The rat descended the stairs, tilting his head as the knock sounded again.
He reached the front door, opening it abruptly and meeting gazes with a set of dark, dark red eyes. Unable to think of something to say, Yuki just stared as the woman smiled at him. She moved her eyes to look past him, looking into the house.
"I'm sorry, are you the only one home?" She asked, turning back to him again. Unnerved, Yuki couldn't speak, so he simply nodded. "I see, sorry to intrude. Thank you."
"Wait, who are you looking for? I can tell them you stopped by." Yuki called. Outside his line of vision, the woman smiled, tucking strands of her long hair behind her ear.
"I was looking for Ame," and with that, the woman completely disappeared. Yuki blinked, hard, for several minutes to make sure his eyes weren't playing tricks. Every time he opened them, however, the woman was still gone. He shook his head, dismissing the strange occurrence, and grabbed the mail before he went back inside the house. Flipping through it quickly, he noted it was all Shigure's.
Yuki slid open the door to the dog's office, quickly making his way to the chaotic desk. As he prepared to drop the assortment of mail on the wooden surface, his eyes caught sight of a frameless picture lying on top of two notebooks. Unable to contain his curiosity, he sat the mail down and bent closer to the image.
The photo showed a much younger Shigure, laughing jovially. Next to him stood Ayame, also younger and, as everyone said, looking like his identical twin with longer hair. At the knees of the two was a young girl with silver-gray hair. Her child-like face was enveloped in a large grin, as she latched her arms around a young boy with an identical shade of hair, who looked quite surprised. Yuki froze as he realized, the boy in the picture was him.
To his own surprise, his hands shook as he reached for the picture. He sat it aside as he lifted the notebook in his hands. Scrawled in a child's hand across the front was, 'Book-chan, from Gure-chan'. The rat paused, assuring to himself that the house was deserted. He felt like he was imposing on something very secret, and didn't want to be caught. Satisfied with the silence, he opened the notebook to the first page, and quietly read to himself.
Dear Book-chan,
Yes, that's your new name, Book-chan! Gure-chan gave you to me, because I told him there were a lot of things I have to say, but no one to say them to. He told me he had a book just like you once! Gure-chan is going to be a great novelist someday. I wish I had something I wanted to be sometimes. It's kind of hard, because Akito says I wasn't supposed to be born.
I've never met Akito before, though. I heard Gure-chan and Ayame-san talking about it the other day. I've heard he says really mean things to people, but I bet deep down he's really a nice person. Book-chan, I have to go, Haru just came to play with me! I'll write back all the time though. Love Ame!
Subconsciously, Yuki gulped. He glanced at the picture on the desk, and he felt convinced now that he had a sister. The only thing confusing him was the difference in appearance between the girl in the photograph, and the girl he'd met recently. Turning back to the notebook, he flipped through a little ways.
Dear Book-chan,
Today was my sixth birthday! Oniisan gave me the prettiest necklace, shaped just like snowflake. I wonder where he got it. Even Ayame-san came to the main house! He gave me this really pretty dress, which he told me he made himself. I thought it was kind of weird for a boy to make girl's clothes, but I don't know very much about Ayame-san so I didn't much care.
What did bother me was that he didn't speak to Oniisan the whole time he was here, and I think Yuki was very sad. I wanted to ask Ayame-san why he didn't talk to Oniisan, but I didn't think that it was the kind of question that should be asked. I think Hatsuharu was worried, but I told him everything was fine. Everything is fine, right Book-chan?
Dear Book-chan,
Today, Yuki, Momiji, Haru, and I played hide and seek at the main house in the snow. We had so much fun. Hari-chan told Yuki not to go outside because of his asthma, but I begged him to play with us, and now he's very sick. Hari-chan and Gure-chan tell me I can't see him. He's been having bad attacks all day, I can hear it from outside, and it almost feels like it hurts me.
I shouldn't have asked Yuki to play when I knew it would be bad, but he's been so sad lately. I called Ayame-san but he said he was busy and couldn't come see Yuki. I think it would make Oniisan feel better, but I understand Ayame-san doesn't like to come to the main house often. I really miss him sometimes, but as long as I have Yuki, I should be okay.
Dear Book-chan,
Lately, everyone's been talking about Akito. He's in a very bad mood, and I think it's because of me. I was looking for Oniisan, since he'd been missing for two days, and I found him in this room. He said Akito put him there, and he told me to leave. I didn't want to, Oniisan looked so scared, but he promised me he'd be okay. I think Akito saw me when I was leaving, but I'm too worried about Oniisan to care.
It feels like everything bad that happens to Oniisan is my fault. I make him sad, and then when I try to cheer him up he gets sick, and Hari-chan gets mad at me. Gure-chan says it isn't my fault at all, but I don't believe him. I wish me and Oniisan could live by ourselves, away from the main house. We could play everyday, and he would never get sick, and he'd never be sad. It can never happen, though.
Dear Book-chan,
Lately, Oniisan has been getting worse and worse. I know it's my fault. He just keeps getting farther and farther away from me. I'm running and running after him, but he won't stop. I call out his name, I say, "Oniisan, come back!" but he doesn't hear me. It's like a scary dream, where I'm chasing Yuki's shadow. If only there was a way to make him see how much I care, I would show him.
I called Ayame-san and told him that Oniisan was very sad. I asked him why he wouldn't come see Yuki, and he said, "I just cant, Ame-chan." I don't understand why at all, and I don't understand why Oniisan is so sad. What will I do if he hates me?
Engrossed, Yuki kept flipped the pages, reading entries to himself as he went. Every page he turned, he felt like he really knew the little girl who was writing, and deep down he realized that he did. As he reached the second book, the memories he was reading seemed to be almost real to him. He wanted to remember them. As he flipped towards the last page, one of the titles jumped out at him. He eased himself into Shigure's chair and began to read.
Dearest, dearest Yuki,
Today they told me that you and I are going to be separated. I'm writing this hoping it will find you someday; wishing so much that you'll remember your little sister. My memories of you will be erased, I know, but Oniisan you are always in my heart. If I could, I would make you healthy and strong, and we could be together always. You're the best brother anyone could ask for, and there are some things I want to tell you.
Ayame loves you. He doesn't know how to show it, and I know he feels badly about it. I think he tries to make up for it by loving me as much as he does, but don't push him away Yuki. If the day comes when Ayame wants to show his affections for you as his brother, please try to accept him Yuki.
Please don't hate Akito. He's a very mean person on the outside, but underneath that he's hurting really bad. I can see it when I look at him, just like I can see your pain, Oniisan. He's just misguided. Someday I'll come back to the main house, I'll show him what a good person he is.
Finally, Yuki, I want to say that I love you. You'll always be my big brother, even if we don't remember each other. I'll think of you every time I see the snow fall outside, and maybe you'll remember me a little when it rains. Stay strong, Oniisan.
Love always, your imouto-chan
As Yuki lowered the notebook to the desk, he felt a strange feeling. He looked over at the picture once more, but it seemed blurred. Reaching his fingers to his cheekbones, he realized that he was crying.
Does Yuki cry? He does now. So...I was in Miami for a month. This new hit count thing confuses me a bit. I have 243 hits for this story...and 39 reviews. Something is getting lost in translation here. Are there really that many people who just don't like the story? Are there just like twenty people who read it over and over? It's weird.
Anyway, Momiji and Haru have arrived, along with Hiro and Kisa! If you feel like anything needs to be explained, please point it out and I'll try my best. Review, review, review! There are like 204 more hits than reviews! That's no coincidence! Don't just read and go, drop a line or two for encouragement to an authoress with a low self-esteem. Till next time!
♥SachiNyoko♥
Haru: If I didn't do that you would never have stopped. Oh, and don't try this at home.
Kyou: You shouldn't have tried it here! Who are you talking to anyway?
