Hey, just wanted everyone to know that I had a ton of fun writing this chapter!

and I'm sorry I wrote "Muramasai" in the last chapter... :|

Anyway, Chapter 2!

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Yuya stood, arms crossed. The wind rustled the fair strands of hair that broke free from her braid. She eyed him with all the hatred and grit she could muster. Kyo just did what he usually did when given this look--smiled.

Oh, it was on.

Yuya made the first move. She signaled to her li'l ones, and they ran immediately, as fast as their little legs would take them, in confusing zig-zags across the border. Some got hit and had to be taken, but Yuya didn't bat an eyelash. This was all a part of her "blitzkrieg" stragedy. The li'l ones made it clear they'd do anything for their dear leader, and she only had one thing on her mind: Kyo's flag.

Today was the day. She had to win. She had to. After four years of suffering, she was going to see his awful grandeur shatter if it killed her. Hell, the boy was in her kindergarten, and her second and third grade class! He was like a never ending nightmare. He put glue in her hair, broke all her crayons, and called her names incessantly. Why, he even claimed that Yuya's cooties were ten times more potent than all the girls put together, so for a while, many kids dared to go near her. Yuya shuttered remembering all of his evil doings, but quickly snapped back. Right now, winning this game was the most important thing in the world.

According surveillance, Kyo's flag would be found right next to the neighborhood sign at the North entrance. "Funny," thought Yuya, "my flag is just at the opposite, the South entrance." Kyo's jail was at the willow tree, and Yuya's the great oak.

"Hitoki, Julian, Lulu, it's time for a prison break," said Yuya.

"Yes, mam!" they all said in unison. The threesome spread out a bit and began sprinting their way toward the giant willow.

"Saisei and Saishi...it's time for a revolution!" They hesitated for but a split second, then took off from each side. They went for the flag.

Yuya sighed, feeling a little uneasy. She'd just sent off her quickest runners, but everything was still going as planned...

The kids their age and younger of the neighborhood flocked to them like sheep. Perhaps it was because when Kyo and Yuya were at it, there was so much spark in the atmosphere, that the kids gathered around them hoping to get some spark for themselves. Kyo had slightly more kids on his team, but Yuya didn't take it personal, she decided he scared them into it. Many admired Yuya's strength and kindness, but many were in awe of Kyo's daring persona. Yuya was a defender and a believer, Kyo was a rebel.

Yuya strained her eyes and realized something bad. Kyo wasn't within sight. However, before Yuya could concentrate on this, she caught sight of Fubuki and Hishigi coming towards her territory. Yuya braced herself, they were Kyo's fastest and by the looks of it, she could only go after one..."No, screw that!" Yuya thought, "I'll herd them both!" She took off like lighting. She curled toward Fubuki and then Hishigi. Yuya managed to get them in a line, with Fubuki in front, and Hishigi tailing him. Yuya may have sent out her quickest runners, but Yuya was by far the fastest. In no time she smacked Hishigi on the back and grazed Fubuki's arm. Yuya smiled as she dragged them to the great oak. She was having her first taste of true victory...

Yuya tensed. Something was amiss--something was not right. Yuya felt a cold shock. She was pierced by an arrow of horror and the wound bled despair. Kyo was running the wrong way, and he was running fast. Kyo was running the wrong way because he was heading towards his territory...

And he was holding her flag.

Yuya had no time to gulp, she chased after him with everything she had. Fubuki and Hishigi were bait and she'd eaten it up, but how did the punk manage to get so far off her radar? Where did he go? Yuya was sure she knew every secret passage, every nook and cranny of this neighborhood, so how? Yuya's minions were no match for Kyo's speed--it was all up to her. Her lungs were loosing air, but she didn't notice, all she felt now was drive. She was getting close. She was so close she was itching. With all her lasting strength, Yuya flung herself at him...

And touched him!

And It didn't matter.

By the time she had her hand clutched around his ankle, he was already past the border. He was safe. Kyo shook her hand off with his foot like she was a small yapping dog. Yuya guessed he was grinning, and hated the thought of it with every fiber in her body.

The entire neighborhood was still. Yuya felt her hand and knees sting from scraping them, but it was incomparable to the sting she felt in her soul. Kyo made to take her hand, but Yuya slapped him away. She glared at him with a look that said one thing:

"This isn't over."

With all the pride she possessed, Yuya rose from the ground, and began walking towards her house. She gritted her teeth, pain was far better than letting Kyo see her limp.

When Yuya's people saw this powerful display of dignity, they could only fall in love with her all over again.

Yuya was 9 years old.

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Yuya began unbuttoning her pajama top. She sleepily turned to the window and doubled over. There Kyo was sitting on the edge of his window and staring at her in all his arrogant glory. Yuya flushed red. She'd forgotten the window of Kyo's room was directly across from hers. Usually her blinds were pulled down. In the past, he'd thrown rocks at the window, terrified her at halloween, and spied on her like he was doing now. It had been two years since the capture-the-flag incident and Yuya still couldn't shake him off, nor the constant irritation. The beast went on to win not only the neighborhood water fight, but the flash-light tag tournament and the treasure hunt championships as well. He was a parasite. To make matters worse, whenever she complained to her family about him they simply wouldn't hear it. Her mother had some warped idea that they were actually friends, friends! Even her brother somehow got along with him nicely. What was this, the Twilight Zone? Yuya felt so betrayed, and as if her life truly was some kind of sardonic joke, Kyo always wound up going on their family trips. The boy just had to catch more fish than her whenever they went fishing and almost never let her go to sleep until he was sure he'd successfully petrified her with a ghost story. The crow-head had mastered the perfect balance of coming off as this nice "cool" boy to the rest of her family, but still a sadistic devil to her. The two-faced bastard...

"You perverted crow-haired devil!" Yuya yelled, "How dare you watch me undress, you s-sick demon!"

Yuya finally realized nothing could be heard from her closed window. Kyo just shrugged, jumped off the ledge, and casually walked to school.

That night, it was raining down hard. Yuya could hear the pitter-patter of the sound it made when hitting the roof. She was still fuming over what happened today. Not only had Kyo peeped at her, but he also took the liberty to tell her she was flat-chested in front of a boy she had a bit of a crush on. Yuya felt her chest and blushed at the action. Surely she'd have some volume later! Yuya was pulling back the blankets of her bed when she thought she heard a knocking sound. She strained her ears. It was probably the rain....

"Knock! Knock! Knock!"

Yuya jolted, it was coming from the window. She hastily pulled up the blinds.

There was Kyo. He was soaked through. Water was dripping down his jet-black hair, down his face. His eyes were piercing.

He wasn't grinning.

Yuya pushed up the window and Kyo immediately shoved her aside and climbed inside. The sweet scent of spring rain permeated her small room. Yuya had no idea what was going on, but regardless, something kept her from getting angry.

Something kept her from telling him to leave.

The truth was, Yuya had never seen him this way. Yuya had never seen him this numb. She'd never seen him this sad.

And for once, that innate instinct didn't tell her to fight, it told her to be gentle.

Yuya wordlessly left and came back with one of Nozomu's T-shirts and pair of his shorts. Yuya handed it to him and he took them. She knew that tonight he wasn't going to utter a single word.

When Yuya guessed he was done changing, she turned around and held out a towel.

Kyo just stared at her.

Yuya sighed. She draped the towel over his head and softly began rubbing his hair dry. When she was finished, she made to go get Kyo a blanket, but he snatched her wrist. Yuya wiggled her arm a little, but she realized his grip was so strong she'd have to pry each finger off one by one. The girl pretended to crawl into bed, thinking that would get him to let go, but to her surprise, he crawled in with her.

Kyo loosened his grasp but he still held her hand. It was exceptionally warm. At first, Yuya thought to protest, but then she decided she didn't care. She didn't care because at that moment, Kyo's pain was the most potent thing in the room, and though she'd never admit it, much less realize it, this pain of his was giving her more torment than anything he'd ever done to her before.

When she woke up, he was already gone, but his scent still lingered next to where she lay. Yuya would later discover that the night Kyo came to her room, was the same night Kyo's mother died eight years ago.

Yuya was 11 years old.