"What did you do to her?!" Yuki demanded, glaring at Akito.
"And good morning to you too, Yuki. Yes, I'm doing well, thank you." The zodiac god smirked.
"Stop playing games! Where is she?" Yuki ordered, advancing upon the black haired heir.
"By 'her', I'm assuming you're referring to that girl?" Akito asked calmly, turning back to look out the window. Yuki knew Akito had to have done something, he had to have, who else could have forced Tohru to leave? Yuki had stormed up to the main estate, Kyo and Shigure hot on his heels, but the rat had gotten there first, and was going to find his friend.
"Tohru. Her name is Tohru Honda." Yuki ground out.
"Ah, so you can say her name." Akito chuckled. "Tohru." He sighed. "Such an unusual name."
"Stop teasing him, Akito. Do you know where our friend is? Her disappearance has put my household into disarray!" Shigure spoke up, coming into the room.
"Disappeared?" Akito asked curiously. "How...interesting. She must hate you after all."
"You're wrong. Miss Honda doesn't have a mean bone in her body!" Yuki shouted angrily.
"That's true." Akito conceded quietly. He remembered their little chat, how she had been on his side...even though she knew exactly what he was like. "But why should I know where the woman is?" He asked, looking at his fellow zodiacs with a bored expression.
"You took her. You had to." Yuki said furiously. Akito looked at the angry teen, sighed, and turned to look out the window.
"I always love when you come to visit me, I really do." Akito began. "But I can't help you. I didn't take her, and that's the truth."
"W-What?" Yuki stuttered.
"Well, this is a surprise." Shigure said. "Then where-"
"She has to be here!" Yuki growled, storming out of the room.
"Could she be?" Shigure finished. "Akito?"
"How could I possibly know? I didn't drive the girl away." Akito breathed.
"If she's not here, then where could she possibly be? Our poor little Tohru, braving the world all on her own." Shigure mused, and shook his head. "Oh well, we'll find her. Don't you worry."
"I won't." Akito smirked.
"That's the spirit! Goodbye, Akito, it's been a pleasure." Shigure waved, leaving the Sohma heir alone in the room.
"Hm." Akito's smile slowly widened in amusement. "So she's gone." The smile slowly dropped, and Akito's eyes fell to the floor as memories of the blue eyed girl drifted over him. Why was she so special? How did she touch everyone so permanently? How could a mere mortal touch people's souls? "This is...unfortunate."
~(0)~
"Well? Did the creep fess up?" Kyo asked, hoping down from the rooftop he had hidden on.
"On the contrary, he denied any interference." Shigure replied.
"Course he did, the prick wouldn't want to get his hands dirty, now would he?" Kyo grumbled. Yuki was strangely silent, his hair hiding his eyes. "He's gotta have her stashed away somewhere, where else could she be?"
"Maybe she simply took a sabbatical." Shigure offered. "I know I need to get away from all this now and then, to become at peace with the world after the grueling tasks of daily life! Oh, I think I shall go on a sabbatical post haste! Maybe to ocean this time, I hear-"
"She didn't choose to go." Yuki whispered.
"Hm?" Shigure blinked.
"Didn't you read her letter? 'I have to go'." Yuki said. "Not 'I want to leave'."
~(0)~
"Gone?" Arisa blinked. "Whadaya mean, 'she's gone'?" The four friends were sitting in class, talking about the most important thing in their lives: Tohru.
"I can't sense her electrical signals." Hana murmured. "She's out of range."
"He means," Kyo snorted. "That she's gone. She made breakfast this morning and then split. We can't find her."
"This is quite unusual." Hana said. "Tohru isn't the type of person to just leave when she feels like it. She's responsible, capable. She wouldn't leave her duties unattended."
"Yeah, Tohru wouldn't just leave like that. She'd never make her friends worry like that." Arisa agreed, and then she turned towards Kyo. "Orange Top! What the heck did you do to make Tohru want to leave?!"
"Me? Why the heck do you think it's my fault?"
"Isn't it?"
"I didn't do anything!"
"Sure ya didn't." Arisa rolled her eyes knowingly.
"I didn't!"
"Something must be wrong. Tohru did seem upset yesterday, but she told me not to worry. Did you sense anything amiss, Yuki?" Hana asked quietly.
"Well, she was crying the other day." Yuki replied, trying to remember. "When I asked her, she said she had just been thinking about her mom, that she was fine, that I shouldn't worry."
"That sounds like Tohru. Never wanting to worry anyone." Hana smiled.
"It does." Yuki smiled.
"Hey, could that be what's up?" Arisa asked suddenly.
"What do you mean?" Yuki asked confused.
"Is she trying to protect someone? She'd leave to make sure someone else was okay."
"No one's in trouble." Kyo snorted. "There's no reason for her to leave."
"Well I say good riddance." A voice retorted. A few seats away from them, one of the Yuki Fans was looking their way, a superior expression on her face.
"I'm sorry, what did you say?" Yuki asked, dumbfounded.
"Don't worry, I'm sure whatever reason she had was a good one. Besides, it's not like the world's going to end because one measly girl left." The girl smirked.
"Aw, shut it Kana." Arisa snapped. "Who the heck do you think you are telling us off? Huh?"
"Oh, no one. Pretend I never said anything, okay?" Kana Suzuki smiled, and stood up. "It seems free period's over. Goodbye everybody." The raven haired girl said, and left the room.
"I hate that chick. Thinks she's so important because of her daddy. Rich girl through and through." Arisa grumbled.
"She's new. She doesn't know her place." Hana murmured. "Although I detect a trace of deceit in her electrical waves...but why? Hm. Oh well, Tohru can take care of herself, we must believe that whatever choice she made, and why, were of good cause."
"I hope so." Yuki whispered, looking out the window sadly.
Where are you Tohru?