Tohru and Kyou came out of the steaming bathroom dressed and refreshed from all the fun they'd been having. They noticed everyone had gone somewhere. Kyou opened the back porch door and found a black cat with a red ribbon around it's neck. It rubbed against Kyou's leg in an affectionate way meowing and purring to his annoyance.

"Aww, what a cute cat!" Tohru smiled happily as she picked it up petting it as it purred.

"It's a black cat Tohru, it's bad luck."

"Aww, but it didn't cross my path did it?"

The cat shook it's head no and it earned two stares of confusion.

"Can that cat understand us?" Kyou poked at it some before it bit his finger making Kyou yell out a scream of pain. "Damn that smarts!" Blood seeped from the bite.

"Kyou, your bleeding, Lets go inside. I know where the first aid kit is, ok?"

Kyou smiled some up at her. She really was good about thinking of others. They went inside and the cat followed. It watched as Tohru cleaned and bandaged his bite. It's as if it knew what was going to happen all along. A knock came at the door and Tohru got up and answered it. Outside was a panicking Hatori who seemed almost out of breath.

"Tohru, thank goodness, have you seen Akito? He's gone missing."

Tohru and Kyou both looked at Each other and then back at Hatori.

"Yes…but the last time we say him Mana and Yuki were with him."

"Did you hear where they were going?" Hatori looked greatly concerned.

"I…I'm sorry. We didn't hear where they were going."

Tohru tried to keep herself from panicking as she hugged Kyou tightly. Hatori knew in that moment when he didn't transform, something was wrong.

"Kyou, you…you didn't transform. How?"

"It's amazing isn't it?" Tohru squeaked happily. "For some odd reason neither Yuki or Kyou transformed. It just stopped all together."

"Interesting, can I see something Tohru?" Tohru turned and faced him confused now. ""Yes, but what would you like to see Hatori?"

Hatori hugged Tohru and did not transform. He backed off of Tohru as his eyes widened in surprise.

"This…is strange."

"Yeah Hatori, strange that your hugging my girlfriend." Kyou blurted out.

"If Akito knew you two were dating it can mean disaster Kyou."

"But he does know…" Tohru mumbled. "He also knows Yuki and Mana are dating. All he did was smile and talk."

"Yeah…" Kyou said frowning "His expression though was all spacey and dreamy…I got a weird feeling that something more is going on and we aren't in on it, but it's still effecting us."

Shigure burst into the front door and looked to be on his way to the kitchen when he noticed the house was not completely empty.

"Ah, I thought you guys had gone to the theater with the others. What's wrong? Not feeling well?"

"No you asshole, we just didn't want to go." Kyou shouted at Shigure while pointing at him.

"Ah, and what have you and Miss Tohru have been doing all this time hmm?" Tohru blushed making it obvious.

"That's none of your business Shigure." Came Hatori's voice as he came into view. "If Akito is at the theater then I must be on my way.

Hatori opened the door only to find that Yuki, Mana and Akito were about ten feet from the door. Yuki was the only surprised one that Hatori was there. Mana smiled up at Hatori cheerfully.

"You must be Hotori, I've heard allot about you. My name is Mana."

She bowed her head gently then looked up at him then she turned towards Yuki.

"Yuki, maybe you can show Akito around if you don't mind."

Hatori thought it was odd how they both agreed and went on their way.

'Hatori, May I speak to you in private?" She had a look to her now that was irregular for him to see in a person. He felt himself nodding even though he'd planned on not agree.

"Sure miss Mana."

"Ok, then follow me."

Hatori followed her unwillingly into a backroom. She now had a chaotic smirk on.

"Would you like to know something…the reason you don't transform any longer?"

"Yes, I would."

"Well, The person responsible for placing the curse on your family is someone from the Honda family. Every few generations can control anyone who's been cursed by the zodiac except for the cat. He still has to wear his beads because someone else gave him that curse. I control you all through Akito. He's like my control panel."

She turned to him smiling menacingly as she put a hand on his cheek.

"Do you know what becomes of snow? It turns into water and water turns into nothing. You are nothing to me or anyone." Hatori shifted uneasily wanting to cry at what this girl was saying. How could she have known his weakness all along. "Your precious Kanna is pregnant anyways and if anyone of the zodiac members have died then she will give birth to another. You see? The cycle never ends." She turned to leave the room then turned to him for one last statement. "Oh, and this matter? It stays between us just to let you know." And with that she was gone.

The black cat with the ribbon tied around it's neck sat in the doorway looking at Hatori as the light shined in it's eyes making it's pupils into slits. Tohru came and picked it up making it mew and paw at one of her pigtails. She looked up to see a shocked and devastated Hatori and it seemed to spark a flame of concerned in her.

"Hatori? Are you alright?"

Hatori straightened up and put a fake smile on.

"Yes, Miss Tohru, I'm quite well."

Tohru smiled and nodded, but she still looked as if she knew there was something wrong.

(Meanwhile)

Ritzu showed up at the theater wearing his hair in a ponytail, a simple white shirt and black pants when he saw Mai in front of the theater. She wore a black tank top and a skirt that went to the middle of her thighs. She smiled cheerfully waving at him. "Hey, what took you so long, I've been waiting for a little while now."

Immediately he started panicking. "Oh, did…did I really? I so sorry."

"It's ok, I was early anyways."

"But…I should have been early too."

"Relax, You wanna go to the mall after this? Maybe it'll help you relax a bit ok?"

"Yes, that would be great."

They looked at the movies, not wanting anything scary of coarse. They picked a comedy of coarse and went in.

(An Hour and a half later)

Ritzu and Mai were walking in the mall now when they ran across an electronics shop. There was a CD on display that Mai seemed to gawk at. It was blank and Titled "System of a Down, Steal this Album".

Ritzu couldn't read English very well so he really didn't know what it said, but you could tell what was on Mai's mind and it was not good. She didn't really wanna go through with it though because a black cat had somehow gotten in the mall and was staring straight at her. It's red ribbon was twice the size of the cat. She wasn't sure why it wasn't fighting to take it off, but she did know she didn't like being stared at like that.

(Meanwhile)

Ayame sat in the back of his shop sewing and cutting. He had this odd inspiration that came from nowhere for an outfit. No one would have thought to make such an outfit as this as before him so he was determined. The seriousness that appeared at no other time could be seen , but somehow he knew there was something more behind what he was doing like someone was pushing him to do it. His Assistant had to take the day off sick so she had been no where in sight the whole day and he'd already finished all of his orders for the day as he continued on with his work. He heard the front door bell ringing and knew there was a customer up front. He came to see that it was a girl young girl in a black Kimono. She smiled cheerfully.

"Ah, you must be Yuki's big brother are you not?"

"Why, Yes. How do you know him?" Ayame was a tad surprised by this.

"I'm Tohru's sister Mana. I came here because I heard you made requested outfits."

"Why…yes…yes I do. Who told you?"

"Akito told me himself."

Ayame's eyes widened in shock.

"A…Akito?"

(Meanwhile)

Somewhere in the woods Hatori was tying a bow knot to hang himself. There was no fucking hope for him. He was nothing…nothing but water. He tied it to a high branch and stood on top of a tree stump preparing to jump. This was it Kanna, This was all he had to do and all this misery would be gone for good. He was tired of this life and he wanted it all to end right now. Just as he was jumping the rope snapped as a gun shot was heard. He fell to the ground in pain as the tree stump went into his stomach. A foreign looking girl ran by him holding a gun in her hand.

"Hey you!"

He looked up at a brown haired girl who wore a pair of short shorts and a t-shirt. Her shoulder length hair was held back with a headband and there was a frown in her hazel eyes.

"What the hell were you thinking hanging yourself?" She sounded harsh, but there was a ring of caring in her tone of voice. "There are better solutions you know."

Hatori coughed a few times and looked up at her miserably. "Not for me there isn't."

"Yes, there is. Now why were you killing yourself?"

"I…I don't even know." He couldn't even tell her the real problem. It was stuck inside and he could not even put it into verbal words. She looked at him now in confusion and knelt down to see into his eyes what the problem was.

"Something is stressing you, I can see it. Who's telling you around or what is happening. I'm not a scycic so tell me."

"It's…complicated…I can't say it…"

The girl sighed feeling something rotten in the air. She'd hoped she wouldn't have run into trouble this time, but she did. Another pathetic human she'd saved and another dollar short is all she would have.

To be continued…