Author's Note: Hello everyone! Oh my goodness! It's been way too long since I had updated this! Most of you are probably wondering what the heck this story is when you get the alert! I do apologize for that!!! I really am sorry! But here's Chapter 8... I hope you enjoy, even though many might have to go back and read it from the beginning because it's been so long!!! Thank you so much to those that still support me! And to those that are new readers!!! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!!! R&R!!! Enjoy!

Chapter 8

Blood and Tears

Sakura acted upon instinct and got into fighting stance. Uo and Hana were behind her and Yuki was at her side. She couldn't help but look at him. Why would Akito want her to battle Yuki with the risk of him getting hurt? Aren't they on the same side?

She thought it so strange that something like that would occur. However, she had no choice. She was in the middle of a crisis which could easily take her life. She had waited forever since her mother's death to avenge her mother, and here was the chance. This was it. She would rather die trying than to have run away and never tried at all.

"We're with you to the end, Tohru," Uo said, still standing behind her.

Hana quietly replied. "We'll be here till the end. We'll make it through,"

She merely nodded and looked at Yuki for a second. His violet eyes looked at Tohru, with a questioning gaze.

Yuki could not help but think. Tohru Honda? Was this the same girl that he had been trying to find for so long? There was no time to think it further. This was the beginning of the fight.

Tohru cried out with a fierce shout and charged directly towards Akito, however, one of his dark-clad men stepped in the way neatly and Tohru was forced to fight him instead. She had no idea where Uo and Hana were. They seemed to be drawn away from her as the fighting took them apart. Tohru slashed out her swords at several men at a time as they charged towards her. She fought recklessly and without any regret.

Suddenly, a man caught her off guard and the veil that had been covering her face was whipped off and her whole face was revealed. Tohru adverted her head to see who had taken her veil off. In that split second, Yuki had caught sight of her features and his eyes grew wide. In the cover of darkness, they had fought. However, now, it seemed as though all secrets were revealed. The new girl of their school was actually the daughter of the Red Butterfly. The Prince who reigned the school was part of the gang. The two were prophesied many years ago to do great things. It was inevitable believe that the two would fall in love somewhere along the way.

"Uo!" Tohru shouted as she saw her fall to the ground after being hit. As she tried to make her way towards her, five men advanced towards her and bared her way.

"MOVE!" she screamed. She punched the one in the middle and flew over their heads as she finally reached her friend.

"Uo!" Tohru yelled, Her long hair cascading around her face.

"Hana… find Hana. She will help you. I'll be okay," Uo smiled weakly.

Tohru reluctantly left her side and flung the man that was about to attack off her back. She fought vigorously and looked around for Hana, however, to no avail. Her friends were gone and now she was on her own. She saw Yuki's silver head as it bobbed to and fro from the midst of the black swarms of evil men.

Did it mean that Yuki was on her side as well? She couldn't make sense of it all. But whatever it was, it seemed as though the Prince wasn't the type of person who would see her get killed. Or was he? Whichever he was, it may be safer to keep him around.

She threw her knife and watched it meet its target of the man who was trying to sneak up on Yuki. A surprised Yuki looked around for a second and caught sight of Tohru. He quickly ducked his head to show recognition and thanks.

Her point here was to destroy Akito. However, she seemed to have disappeared, however, because she was nowhere in sight. This angered her. What was this supposed to be? She had set up the whole fight, the least she could do was stick around and watch.

Tohru gnashed her teeth and turned around and kicked and fought her way through the mobs that surrounded her and Yuki. They were the only two left and she had no idea what had happened to Hana or Uo. They had disappeared. She was alone.

She screamed and threw one remaining sword directly towards the man that charged towards her from afar. She breathed heavily and was slowly growing weaker and weaker.

"Ahhh!" she gasped as someone had brandished their sword and slashed her right arm. She instantly put her left hand out to try to numb the pain. But there was only so much she could do. As she pulled her hand away, blood was dripping off of her hand. Her breathing was ragged.

There was fighting and chaos all around her. It seemed as though the people on the same side were fighting each other. This was the terrible hate that had poisoned them all. It seemed that wherever she turned she saw nothing but revenge, hate, and tears. Was this all that she was meant to see and live for? Was this really all that was in her life?

She gnashed her teeth and picked up her sword, fighting until she was stained with the blood of many. It seemed so though the last man had fallen. She didn't know. She was getting dizzy and could not see things clearly.

The deep wound on her shoulder was bleeding profusely and she was loosing so much blood. She bent down on her knees and gathered the lost sword that was her's. She picked it up in one bloody hand, tears welling up in her eyes. For the first time in her life, she wasn't just driven my determination and revenge. She was scared. What had become of the sweet, innocent girl that she was?

"It's never too late for anyone to change," the words echoed in her mind. Maybe it was true. She wept.

All was lost to her. Tohru knelt on that dark pavement and wept tears mixed with the blood shed.

"Tohru!" she heard a voice calling her name. She didn't even bother to look up. "TOHRU!" she looked up slowly, her eyes filled to the brim with tears. The figure looked almost angelic with the moon's soft light reflecting off of the silver hair that was matting around his face with the sweat.

Her tears cascaded down her cheeks swiftly. "Noble fool," she whispered. Yuki let his sword drop to the pavement with a clatter as he was instantly by Tohru's side. He took her arm in his hand and she winced with pain. His eyes grew wide at the sight of the wound. The blood was drying on her clothes and the gash was deep.

"What? You're princely manner couldn't bear not the save a damsel in distress?" she laughed weakly as she was supported by Yuki's figure.

"Tohru," he whispered intensely. "I'm sorry," the two words were listless in the silence of the night.

"Hatori!" Yuki had ran all the way back to the Main House. Thankfully, it was not that far. Tohru had fainted from fatigue and the loss of blood. He burst into the doors of Hatori's office.

Hatori looked up from his paperwork quickly and alertly. His expression grew tense as he realized this was the daughter of the Red Butterfly. Kyoko.

"Lay her down," was all he said as he quickly went over to his cabinet's and got a pair of shears and bandages.

Yuki carefully laid her down and hovered nearby, anxiously and worriedly.

Hatori quickly mopped up the clotting blood around the gash and looked up at Yuki. "How long has she been in this state?" he asked.

Yuki looked alarmed. "No more than an hour or so. Why? Will she live? Is there anything wrong? She was fighting the men Akito sent until she collapsed. She still managed to kill the last one," he added, his voice changing to one with distain and venom in it at the mention of Akito.

Hatori's brow creased as he carefully cut away the fabric from Tohru's top around the gash. It wasn't a very large one, however it must have been pretty deep.

"Where is Akito?" he asked Yuki again.

"I don't know. She said that after Tohru had fought the rest of the men, she would have me fight her as well. Then she disappeared. There were two other girls' with Tohru. One fell and the other went to help her. The two disappeared during the fight," Yuki's eyes narrowed. "Do you think that Akito had taken them?" his voice grew alarmed and tense.

Hatori shook his head. "No. She wouldn't take them. It would not do her any good. They were just helpers of Tohru. They don't know the rest of the story like Tohru does," he bound the wound and found a blanket for her.

"I don't dare move her now. She may be hurt more,"

Yuki nodded quickly and looked around. "Where is Akito?"

Hatori shook his head. "I haven't heard from her since this evening when she had retired to her room,"

Yuki looked all around the room haphazardly trying to figure our what he was going to do. Hatori saw Yuki's desperate actions and told him: "For now, there is nothing you can do. Just look after Tohru for a little while," he rose from him kneeling position beside Tohru and took a step towards the door but he stopped himself.

He turned his head to the side and asked Yuki who was still by Tohru's side:

"Why was Tohru out there tonight?" his voice was emotionless though deep inside, he was forlorn and upset.

Yuki spoke in a low tone. "She was trying to avenge her mother's death. Said that she needed to fulfill that much for her mother," he still knelt over Tohru and carefully moved strands of hair away from her face. "She was brave. She risked everything including her life for her mother," his voice became quieter as he continued. "She loved her so much.

Hatori turned his head away and faced the exit again. Without a word, he stormed out of his office and was outside, facing the dark night with tears gathering in his eyes.

"So he finally found her again,"