It started out like any other day in Kaede House. It was just about dawn when Nana was the first to get up, followed closely by Yuka (who assisted Nana in making breakfast), then Tomo, Mayu, and the late risers Kohta and Lucy. They ate breakfast in their usual silence, and once everyone was finished, helped clear the table of the empty pltaes. After that, everyone proceeded to do their daily chores. Yes, it was just another regular morning, and no one would have though it particularly different. just everyone going about their usual routine. Little did any of them know, save for one, that by the end of the day, it would turn out to be so much more. No one would have guessed, but everything was about to change.

Yuka was in her room standing in front of a dull size mirror, looking at herself in her new kimono. It was truly a beautiful piece of clothing. The fabric, which felt extraordinary against her skin, was a bright and elegant looking yellow and decorated with orange koi fish. She twirled around, viewing it from all sides. Tonight was going to be a special night, and she wanted to look her absolute best for a certain someone. It was the very first night of the summer festival that Kamakura had held every year since as long as Yuka could remember. And tonight, she was planning on asking Tomo to join her at the festival. Then, afterwards, she would ask him to be her boyfriend. As she examined her reflection and how she looked in the kimono, she wondered how Tomo would think she looked. Such girlish thinking surprised even her, and just thinking about Tomo was enough to make her heart beat rapidly within her chest.

"Yuka," Mayu called from outside in the hall.

"In here," she answered. Mayu opened the sliding door, gaping in awe when se saw Yuka's kimono.

"It's beautiful," Mayu said.

"My parents just sent it to me," Yuka said as she modeled it for Mayu in the center of her room, "What do you think?"

"You look great. But what's the occasion?" Yuka leaned in closer to Mayu and spoke in a low whisper.

"I'm going to ask Tomo to come with me to the festival tonight," she blushed, hiding her face in her palms afterward. Mayu looked rather confused by this.

"Tomo?"

"What is it," Yuka asked, sounding worried.

"It's just, I thought you said you were in love with Kohta," Mayu said, trying to understand how Yuka could change interests so quickly.

"People change Mayu," Yuka replied, returning to the mirror. Mayu continued to look thunderstruck by all this. "Besides, now that I like Tomo, I don't have to worry about Kohta or feel jealous about Lucy anymore. They can both be as romantic as they want for all I care," she added bitterly.

"But you haven't even known him that long."

"I've known him long enough," Yuka finalized, her tone declaring the subject had dropped. "Did you want me for something?" Trying to search for why she was here in the first place, Mayu finally remembered, straightening up before speaking (which was a habit of hers during any kind of confrontation).

"I need your help down in the kitchen. I need an extra hand with getting lunch ready." Yuka changed out of the kimono and hurried down to the kitchen with Mayu to help her with cooking. Apparently, she wasn't sure about whether or not the noodles for their lunch was finished yet and wanted a second opinion.

"We haven't had soumen noodles for some time have we," Yuka siad.

"No, but Nana really liked them and asked if you could have them again." Yuka laughed at this, not expecting Nana to have be taken with soumen noodles so passionately. Sure, she and Kohta liked them better then anything, but Nana's love of them bordered near obsession.

"How long have they been cooking? You can usually..." Yuka stopped in the middle of her sentence. They had just reached the threshold to the kitchen, and opened the door to a most unexpected sight. Inside, Lucy was reaching for a glass from one of the top cabinets that was too high for any of them to reach on normal ground. But instead of standing on a chair like the others did, Lucy seemed to be lifting the glass off the shelf with her mind. The cabinet door opened and closed without her having touched it, and the glass floated down into her hand on its own, where she then took it to the faucet to fill with water. Yuka was transfixed. She stood motionless in the threshold while Mayu looked back and forth between her and Lucy, a look of utter panic on her face. Yuka let out a ghastly scream and Lucy, finally noticing them, dropping the glass as she spun around. Pieces of glass shattering everywhere and water spilling over the floor. Lucy turned around abruptly, her eyes so wide they looked like they might bug out of her skull. Neither she or Yuka were able to look away from the other. Both were unmoving.

"WHAT WAS THAT," Yuka quivered, pointing a shaky finger at Lucy. Both Lucy and Mayu looked unsure as to what to do next. Yuka moved her mouth, but no further words escaped her. She looked frantically around as if expecting to see wires to suggest some kind of cheap illusionary trick. Kohta, Nana, and Tomo came rushing onto the scene, Yuka's scream resonating throughout the house.

"What happened," Kohta asked worriedly.

"Um...you see...well...its," Mayu tried to start, fear keeping her from describing the situation any further then that. Kohta looked down to see that Mayu's arms and legs were trembling as if cold. It was clear she was on the near edge of panic.

"Lucy was just getting that glass from the cupboard with without using her hands," Yuka finished for her, her accusatory point shifting from Lucy to the broken glass on the floor. Kohta and the others joined Mayu and Lucy with their own ashen faces. Yuka looked from face to face, wondering why nobody else but her seemed surprised by this discovery. "What's wrong with all of you? I told you Lucy was doing something weird with her mind! She's got special powers or something!" Nobody said a word.

"I think its time to tell her Kohta," Lucy said despairingly.

"Tell me what?" Yuka said suspiciously. Kohta frowned and his brow followed suit. He gave a small, surrendering sigh before starting.

"Yuka, Lucy isn't exactly human. She is what's called a diclonius. As far as I know, they're some kind of mutant humans who have these invisible arms called vectors. They also grow those horns that she used to have. Apparently, she and Nana used to live in this facility that was studying them, they both escaped and eventually ended up here with us. The rest, I guess you could say, is history." With each passing sentence that Kohta uttered, Yuka's confused and shocked face quickly turned to that of extreme anger and rage. Kohta noticed that he'd never seen Yuka this upset before. This wasn't going to be pretty.

"You knew," she said, "You knew and didn't tell us Kohta."

"Actually," Mayu interrupted, "Nana told me when I first met her." As Yuka turned her reproachful eyes toward Mayu, she blushed guiltily and looked only at the floor, playing with her thumbs.

"So only me and Tomo didn't know!"

"Um," Tomo began, scratching the back of his head, "Nana told me some time ago."

"SO I WAS THE ONLY ONE WHO DIDN'T KNOW," Yuka shouted so loud her throat ached, throwing her hands up, her temper reaching its limit. Everyone recoiled in guilt. "Didn't any of you think it was important to tell me about the people I'm living with?" She was firing off her sentences so fast that they were nearly mixing, and she was finding it increasingly difficult to speak straight and coherently.

"I was afraid," Nana struggled through tearful eyes, "I was afraid if you knew what I was you'd throw me out. I don't want to go back to where I was before. I like it here." Nana was now on the cusp of letting the tears fall freely. Yuka looked somewhat regretful at this, then turned her full, and renewed fiery gaze at Kohta.

"Why did you hide this from me?"

"I wasn't hiding it from you," Kohta protested defensively. A hard slap found itself across his face, leaving a deep red handprint.

"Why did you hide it from me?" she asked again.

"I wasn't hiding it," Kohta repeated. Yuka slapped him yet again, his cheek now red as a beet.

"STOP LYING TO ME! WHY DID YOU HIDE IT FROM ME?" she demanded.

"I did it to protect you!"

"Protect me from what?" Kohta and everyone else brought their hands up to cover their mouths as though they were trying to stop the answer from escaping their mouths. The faces Yuka saw on them told her that this was something neither of them wanted her to hear. She repeated herself more tersely. "Protect me from what?" There was a long, thick, and pregnant pause, mirroring the seriousness of the scene. Everyone looked down at their feet, each more afraid then the other to be the one to explain things to Yuka.

"To protect you from me," Lucy spoke up, "Because before I came here to live with all of you...I killed a lot of people." Yuka's face was shocked into a silent neutrality. She moved so little that she didn't appear to be breathing. "I used to live in a orphanage. I was treated terribly there by these three boys. And one day they tortured this dog I found till it died, just to see me cry. The girl I told about the dog, a person I thought was someone I could trust, told them. I got so upset that I used my vectors to kill them. Then I wondered from house to house, killing everyone inside so I could use their house as a temporary home. I was filled with so much hate back then. Till Kohta showed up. He was the first to show me genuine kindness. And for the first time, I was happy. But then when I went to see him at the festival...he was with you. I got so jealous. I thought he'd lied to me about being my friend. I thought you'd stolen the one friend I ever made. And I just lost it. I followed him onto the train, and killed his father and sister. Then I would have killed you too, if Kohta hadn't stopped me. After that, I start wandering around the country till I was captured by the facility. I escaped, met Kohta again after eight years, and you know the rest." Nobody moved. Nobody spoke. No sound from either the house or outside world could penetrated the wall that had erected around them.

With one swift motion, Yuka clenched a fist and swung it into a devastating blow that struck Kohta in the jaw; then she proceeded to strike Lucy. Before either Kohta or Lucy had fallen completely to the ground, Yuka was already bounding onto Lucy, swinging wildly at her. Instantly, Nana, Mayu, and Tomo rushed for Yuka. It took their combined strengths to pry Yuka away from Lucy, and all the while Yuka continued to throw punches randomly into the air without any coordination. Kohta sat up, rubbing a trickle of blood from his mouth.

"Yuka," he said, surprised. Yuka turned her hellish stare at him, then broke away from the others hold on her, tackling Kohta and rapidly hitting everywhere while he tried to block her with his arms. The others again had to work together just to pull her off of him, Lucy rubbing her sore cheeks, sitting silently.

"I HATE YOU," Yuka shouted at the tops of her lungs. Her swings had become so violent and sporadic at she accidentally elbowed Tomo in the ribs and didn't even notice she'd done so. She seemed determined to beat the very life out of Lucy or Kohta, which ever she could get her hands on first. "I HATE YOU BOTH," she screamed so loud in made her throat throb. She broke out of the others gripped and ran for the front door, slamming it shut with such ferocity it nearly broke off its hinges. For a while, nobody moved inside the kitchen. No one even offered to help up Lucy and Kohta, or to even inquire if they were ok. They all just stood in a stunted silence.

Yuka ran faster then she'd ever run in her life. She ran with no destination but to get as far from Kaede House as she possibly could. The tears falling from the corners of her eyes were quickly dried from the sheer force of the wind beating across her face as she bolted down the sidewalk. So blind was both her fury and hurt that she didn't see or hear the growls of the other people on the walkways, who were forced to jump out of her path as came past. Yuka was no stranger to these feelings and emotions. She'd felt them more times in her past then she cared to remember. But now...she felt it so real she thought she might die from it. She ran down the long steps, nearly toppling down them, missing almost two steps at a time. Yuka did not stopping running until she came to the beach. She was feeling so hurt and alone that she did not notice her own fatigue as she sat her back against the wall, crying into her knees with full abandon.

She'd been living with a murderer this whole time, and not one of them had afforded her the dignity to tell her. What's more, Lucy had at one point thought about killing her! And Kohta allowed this person, who killed his father and sister, and even considered killing her to stay with them! Even fell in love with her! Did he not value Kanae and his dad at all? Didn't he value her at all? Why had they all kept her in the dark about this? These thoughts kept running across her conscious thoughts so quickly that she almost couldn't keep up with them. The solitude of the beach and deserted city streets above only increased her sense of isolation from the rest of the world. She was sobbing there unnoticed, for how long she didn't know, before a shadowy silhouette formed in front of her. She looked up, her eyes red and puffy, to find Tomo leaning on his knees. He was breathing deeply, and stank with BO. Apparently he'd run here to find her.

"I thought I'd find you here," he said happy to have finally found her. He did not offer her a hand to help her up, rather he just sat directly next to her, not saying anything for several moments while he just let her continue to cry. Although she was not too happy with how he didn't tell her what he knew about Lucy, she appreciated his company all the same. But she wasn't going to let him know that right away.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you," he said before she had a chance to scold him, "I should have told you. But I swear that the only thing I was that she was the one who attacked Nana and killed lots of people. I didn't know anything about Kohta's family being killed or her wanting to kill you," he said apologetically. Yuka could hear the sincerity in his voice, but that didn't do much to make her feel any better.

"Lucy attacked Nana too?" Tomo's face went ashen. Clearly something he didn't mean to reveal. "So they still were keeping secrets from me."

"I wasn't trying to keep it from you."

"Then why didn't you tell me?" she asked, trying hard not to sob while speaking. Tomo looked deep in thought for a moment before finally answering.

"Because I didn't want to do anything that might cause a rift between you guys," he said, "When I first met you guys, you seemed like the perfect family...well, almost perfect," he said with a slight smile. Yuka could help the small chortle that forced its way past her lips at the joke. "But despite a few problems here or there, you guys seemed happy together. That was something I never knew till you guys took me in, and I didn't want to lose that. Besides...I didn't want to do anything that might make you unhappy." Tomo placed his hands on her shoulders, looking deep into her eyes. Yuka noticed how gentle and kind they looked. And with welcome ease, she surrendered herself as he lead them in a loving kiss, followed by a equally loving embrace. And despite herself, she found that she could not stay mad at him.

She held him tightly, sobbing uncontrollably into his shoulders as he rubbed her head comfortingly. Several minutes later, she pulled herself away from him, rubbing the tears from her eyes.

"Feel any better," he asked with a cautious smile.

"A little," she replied truthfully.

"Tell you what, why don't you and I go to that festival thing they have going on here," Tomo suggested. Yuka was almost beside herself, having been thinking about the same thing minutes earlier. "What is it," he asked worriedly, seeing her reaction.

"Nothing...it's just..."

"You don't want to go?"

"No, no it's not that," she said quickly. She brightened up almost instantly, a broad smile framing her face. "I'd loved to go."

"Great," he stood up and offered a gallant hand to help her up, "Then lets go back and get ready." Yuka took his hand, not relinquishing it once she was back on her two feet. And together they walked back to Kaede House, Yuka clinging onto his arm, and not caring that she would soon have to face the others again.

Lucy sat in her room, an ice pack held closely to her face were Yuka had punched her. She listened for any sound, hoping for something to break the uncomfortable feeling now permeating the house. After Yuka's little "outburst," the rest of the day passed in complete silence. They all went about their business as usual, ignoring all others. None of them spoke to the other, not even when Yuka finally came back with Tomo looking in much better spirits. They didn't even have dinner together, everyone quietly agreeing to fend for themselves tonight. So while Tomo and Yuka would get food at the festival, the rest of them would have to settle eating instant ramen noodles. Lucy, on the other hand, wasn't planning on eating anything. She could tell Mayu and Nana wanted to join Tomo and Yuka, but wisely thought otherwise, believing that Yuka would rather not spend time with them. Kohta had likewise not even left his room either.

Lucy had wanted to go and check on him, to make sure he was alright, but did not. Whether is was out of fear or cowardice, she didn't know. So instead, she just sat there alone, the freezing ice pressed hard against her skin to numb the pain. Moments passed where Lucy's mind was blank. Where she didn't even attempt to think of anything. Then there were times when she constantly questioned why everything had gone so wrong. She wondered why her life was still nothing but a hellish nightmare, even though she was far away from the lab. Was her life ever going to get any better? As of now, Lucy was steering toward no. There was a small, weak rap on her door, followed by a soft voice that spoke so low it was almost a whisper.

"Lucy, can I come in?" Kohta asked. Lucy gave him permission, and Kohta gently opened the door, entering her room and softly shutting the door behind him. It seemed like Kohta was almost afraid of being heard. Kohta also held a frozen ice pack against his face, his bruises looking far worse then Lucy's. He knelt down beside her, removing her pack away from her cheek to check on her own bruises. "How are you feeling?"

"It's not too bad," Lucy answered weakly.

"That's not what I meant." The physical pain would heal well enough on its own. What worried the both of them was on a more emotional level. Lucy averted her eyes, which was answer enough for Kohta.

"Why did you tell her?" Lucy still did not meet his eyes while she thought deeply, and not even when she eventually answered.

"Because I'm tired of living like this. I'm tired of feeling isolated from everyone but you. It's not enough to just have you on my side anymore Kohta. I need more. I want to feel like I'm actually part of a family, and like I have friends. I don't want to feel alone anymore. I thought maybe if I was honest with Yuka, maybe she and I could start to be friends. But instead all its done is just make the gap between us even greater. And now, I've made things worse for everybody. Maybe I'm not meant for this kind of life," she added solemnly. "Ever since I can remember, I've been miserable. At the orphanage, on the run, at the facility. I thought after I finally was able to break free of that place and see you again that maybe I could finally be happy. But no matter how hard I try, things never get any better. And after today, I'm starting to feel they never will." Lucy tried hard to speak as composed as she could, trembling in her seat. It was all she could do to keep her emotions in check. Lucy stood up, still not looking Kohta in the face.

"I can't stay here anymore," she said simply, walking toward the hall. Before she'd taken a full stride, Kohta jumped up and threw his arms around her neck, just like on the night when she left to find death with the army of SAT soldiers.

"DON'T GO," he cried, exactly as he did back then. He tightened his hold on her as he felt her, rather feebly, try to break free. "You're not alone Lucy. You do have friends and a family. We're your family. We may not be perfect, and we may have problems, but we do care about you. Let us help you. You don't have to be alone anymore. And Yuka will come around. I promise. If I can forgive you, then so can she. But please...don't go. I love you Lucy."

"But what if she doesn't?"

"Then she'll just have to get over it. I don't care what anyone thinks of you. What's important is that I care about you and I need you, only exactly as you are, regardless of your past." Kohta spun her around and before Lucy knew what was happening, Kohta leaned in to kiss her aggressively on the lips. Lucy's heart raced. It was the first time since the night on the stone steps that the two of them had shared a kiss. And Lucy fell into it with welcome vigor, kissing him back. There they both held the other, desperately needing to find comfort in the one they loved most. And there, they were able to find it. They both rolled over under the covers of Lucy's bed, kissing each other widely and passionately. Their clothes and been discarded, strewn randomly around the bed. Here they would stay they whole night, continuing to kiss until, unable to fight it any longer, they both fell asleep in each others loving arms.

It was well into the late hours of the night before Yuka and Tomo finally made their way from the festival and back toward the house. The night was as beautiful and clear as it had ever been this summer, with all the stars decorating the cloudless sky, while the full, pale moon lit their way. Yuka hadn't been to a festival in so long, and nearly forgotten how fun they could be. They had gorged themselves on many of the festivals delicious foods and snacks, such as crepes, fired noodles, and cotton candy. They played many of the festival games, including goldfish catching and the game were you had to carve out a picture with a small needle. After many practice attempts in the past, Yuka had become all but a master at it, while Tomo couldn't even stick the needle in without it cracking. Yuka had to laugh at the role reversal. The games may have seemed somewhat childish, but Yuka wanted Tomo to experience them, this being his first festival ever. They looked into booth after booth as men and women of different arts and crafts performed their skills with excellent precision. What made the night perfect was that during their time there, while they were sitting on a park bench eating their dinner, Tomo had looked over at her and complimented her on how she looked in her kimono.

They had spent so much time there that were nearly the last ones to leave, almost being forced out by the disgruntled police guards eager to go home and get a good nights sleep. And now they walked slowly home, enjoying the deserted streets and sounds of the nocturnal insects and beasts just now coming out. Tomo held her arm magnanimously, like an escort to a princess. They walked in huddled laughter, Yuka unable to resist the possibility of teasing him for how terrible he was at the festival games. As the finally reached the outer gates of Kaede House, Tomo opened the door and gestured inside with a noble bow to his mistress. Yuka curtsied and walked inside as Tomo followed.

"Hey Yuka," Tomo called from behind her.

"Yes," Yuka said turning to face him. Just as she was looking in straight in the face, Tomo brought her into a tight embrace, caressing the back of her head.

"There's something I want to tell you," he whispered gently in her ear.

"Yes," Yuka said hopefully. He brought her out of his hug, then placing his hands on both sides of her face, leaned her into a kiss. Yuka wished this moment could have lasted forever, the romantic setting almost too perfect for words. They parted and Yuka gazed into his gently, kind eyes.

The pain rang so sharply that her mind couldn't even register it. All she felt was the sudden lack of weight on her arm, looking down to find it mysteriously severed at the elbow, her kimono now stained with red blood. Horrified, Yuka looked back into Tomo's eyes, still ever gently and kind, still holding her face.

"I need you do die for me," he said softly. Suddenly, realization hit her. Yuka tried to brake away from him and even cry for help, but her voice seemed lost and her body overpowered. How could this be happening? Another clean cut ripped her torso from her body, then another swift slice tore her head clean from her neck before her body hit the ground, a small sprinkle of blood splattering everywhere as blood continued to gush from her veins. Yuka's last thoughts lingered on Nana, Mayu, Kohta...and Lucy. Then, nothing.

Tomo held her head still in his hands, his face impassive and almost uninterested. He looked into her face, the shock in her eyes never to be removed. Forever unchanged. Watching his reflection in her pupils, he felt strangely detached. Her death would achieve nothing significant. So then why had he suddenly decide to dispose of her? The answer, he found, was so simple that to a normal person, it might seem psychotic. He just wanted to. And who knows, maybe her death would serve a greater purpose in the end. He smiled. He brought her head up close to his face, deciding to grace her with one last touch of diclonius skin. Turning her face, he licked the side of the head all the way up to her hair line, tasting the mingled flavors of blood and perfume.

Holding it there for a moment, he later dropped it, letting gravity pull it to the ground with a splatter sound as it landed, her head bouncing a little before halting. He looked down at her, her decapitated head swimming in a puddle of red. Then, with the greatest plainness, turned on her and walked up to his room, leaving her corpse to rot in the moonlight.