Before we knew it, Kyou and I were in our third year of middle school. It was easy for us to return to normal even after our somewhat frequent fights. We were each other's only allies in the stifling school we were both banished to.

"Oi, Kyou." I pulled up a chair to the side of his desk. "I have our assignment. You know what to do?"

"Yeah, of course I do. I'm not deaf. "

"So just shut up and do it then." I rolled up his copy of the assignment and hit him over the head with it. He grumbled, taking the paper and flattening it out. "So..." He said

I rolled my eyes. "We're making a presentation about a historical figure of our choice."

"I knew that."

"Sure you did." I grumbled.

We continued on like that. Working out the project while snipping irritatedly at each other.

The final bell rung for the day, I jerked Kyou from his stupor by kicking his chair. "School's over ya lug." I said as I grabbed my bag.

"Mhmf." He grunted, standing up and stretching.

I smirked. "C'mon, let's walk to the Dojo together."

"Sure, whatever." I flounced ahead as he followed me in a slump. I could tell he was tense. Today we would take our advancement tests to see if we would move up a belt level. Me and Yuki were both going to become Black Belts, while Kyou and Kagura were going to be Red belts.

We walked from the school in silence at first. It was that kind of friendship where it was enough just to have someone around, and not be completely alone. I could still sense that Kyou still resisted me somewhat, even after all this time. Probably because of his near obsessive grudge against Yuki. By now I held little to no ill will towards him. That image of him trapped in that prison still gave me chills, and put whatever I felt before into perspective.

"What are you so grumpy about?" I asked after a few blocks. "Are you just upset that you won't get to spar Yuki in the trials today?"

"Peh. I don't need any trials to fight that rat bastard."

"And I don't need you to tell me that." I deadpanned.

He just grunted.

"It's too bad, you're going to be in trials with Kagura this time around." She missed the last advancement because she broke one of the Dojo's walls and got loads of demerits.

"Don't remind me."

And speaking of Kagura. I sensed her approaching, fast. "GET DOWN!" I yelled, yanking him down into the bushes. Poor Kyou has no grace, so at some point we got a bit too close for the Spirit's liking and he transformed into a spitting orange cat.

"WHAT TH-" I clamped a hand over his muzzle to silence him.

"Shut up!" I said in a hushed voice. Just as Kagura's cries came into earshot. He started, his fur standing on end.

"KYOUUUUUUUUUU- WHERE DID YOU GO!?"

I prayed for her just to move on. I only hoped that she wasn't able to smell him or something.

After a few tense moments, I determined that the coast was clear, and left him to dress in the bushes.

"Okay...how did you know she was coming again?" He asked, as he re-joined me.

"I'm an Empath, remember? I sense Auras, as hokey as it sounds." We fell into step again, taking an alternate route to the Dojo.

"Oh, right."

"The more familiar I am with a person, the easier it is for me to sense them over distances." I shrugged.

"Ah."

"But, the reason I'm still allowed inside the walls, is because I can sense the wills of the spirits."

He gave me an odd look, almost...apologetic? Sympathetic? I wasn't quite sure.

"But, I probably shouldn't complain..." I mumbled, looking at him. Even of the few who knew of the Cat's existence, even fewer knew of his fate.

He stiffened, looking away from me. "Yeah." Was all he said, then we were silent again until we reached the Dojo. Taking a back way in as Kagura in her haste had arrived before us.

We all lined up, advancement trials were a big deal. It always went from the bottom up, the little kids getting their Yellow belts to the adults advancing further as Black-belts. So I had a while to wait.

"Now, the next spar will be, Kanae and Yuki."

There were mixed mutterings among the crowd, but it didn't really matter. Most of them didn't know the significant risk this would pose. It did seem that Kazuma-sensei had a certain disregard for the Sohma's excessively rigid rules from time to time.

I glanced in Yuki's direction, he wasn't looking at me. He was his usual, distant, disinterested self. He could be so infuriating, while most found his air of mystery alluring, it frankly just pissed me off.

Yuki and I walked to the sparring mats. We bowed customarily, and both assumed our ready stances.

"Hajimete!" Kazuma shouted, signalling us to begin our spar.

I was light on my feet, ducking and parrying his first strike. I was quick, but he was quicker. While Yuki was very skilled and naturally talented, there was no real force or intention behind his strikes. He goes on instinct, his eyes never focussing, and his stance never steady. I quickly found a way to turn this to my advantage.

I began using fake-out manoeuvres to throw him off as best I could. He still managed to predict the sweep kicks I attempted; so I went for a more direct approach.

I swung around, letting out a cry as I launched a heavy round-house kick right at the centre of his defence. It was just brash and unexpected enough that he was knocked flat on his back. I huffed, putting my hands together to bow, signalling the end of the spar.

To my dismay, he didn't look surprised or dismayed, but...contemplative.

I could already hear Kyou's enthusiastic cheers. Ecstatic that at least someone was able to beat his rival.

"Oh man Kanae that was awesome! You sure showed that prissy-ass Yuki!"

"Kyou not now. You should focus more on not being murdered during your spar."

He froze in his realisation. I grabbed him by the collar when he tried to run. "Don't tell me you're a coward as well as an idiot." I growled menacingly. I let him go, and he slumped back towards the line-up. I slipped away to ponder. Not keen on crowds when I could avoid them

I usually walked home alone, despite the fact that most of us were going to the same place. I had developed the habit of taking a route through the Outside districts to the broken-down section of the wall where I could climb it; instead of just entering through the gate like a normal person.

"Hey Kanae!" I turned around to see Kagura running to join me.

"Hey," I said with a small smile, adjusting my pace to hers.

She smiled in return. "I know you heard it already, but awesome job kicking Yuki's ass today."

I shrugged. "Coming from you I suppose that's meant to be a compliment."

"It is!" She said with a slight whine.

I granted her an amused grin. "Sure sure."

"C'mon Kanae, you should be a little more excited! No one was ever able to beat Yuki!"

"As I've heard."

"Has he talked to you, by the way?"

"Who, Yuki? No, why would he?"

"I don't know, he mentioned something about you, when he was talking about the fact that he's leaving."

"Huh?" I asked, my attention piqued.

"Yeah, he's leaving Sohma house to live with Shigure. I can't believe that Akito's allowing it."

Me neither. I wonder how Haru did it.

"Yeah...me neither." I said.

"He's even going to an Outside high school. A co-ed one at that. It's so weird, all this rebellious behaviour all of a sudden."

It really isn't. Poor Yuki's been a rebellion just waiting to happen for 14 years. "If he wanted to talk to me then I'm sure he already would have."

"He may be too scared now, since he knows you're stronger than him."

"I just got lucky. He could still beat me if he wanted to."

"I suppose." She seemed bored with this topic of conversation. "Hey, so have you decided where you're going to high school yet?"

"Yeah. Kobayashi."

"Aww...I was hoping that you'd be going to Namikawa with meee..."

"No. I need to go to a school with a suitable music program, orders of the main house."

"And you're listening to them?" She said in disbelief.

"I have to if I want them to pay tuition." I shrugged.

"That's right." She said a little sadly. "We'll still be able to hang out, right?"

"Yeah of course, we'll still be neighbours."

"But, I know how much you hate being at Sohma house."

"So we can go other places."

She smiled, "Yeah, we can."

"Did you have anything planned? We can go get some Monja."

She groaned. "But you always want to get Monja. I don't understand how you're not sick of it already!"

"Fine then, what do you want to eat?" I relented.

"Takoyaki." She said brightly.

"You know they have Takoyaki Monja." I stated flatly.

She rolled her eyes, grinning. "Fine, we can go to that Monja place in honour of your victory over the notorious tyrant Yuki Sohma."

That got a chuckle out of me. "In that case, you should treat me."

"Hey c'mon no fair!"

I laughed as she punched me playfully in the arm, the two of us walking away from our shared hell to share a little solace over fried meat and noodles.

I came home somewhat late that evening, and I was somewhat surprised to find someone else in my house besides Misaki.

The aura was familiar, I knew who it was, but I was frightened by the raised voices. "Misaki…I'm not-"

"Kazuma, I know just, please. I'm already doubting myself as it is."

"Then let me help you. You weren't meant to do this on your own."

"Oh, and you were? I've had Kanae for longer than you've had Kyou so-"

"Misaki I didn't say that-"
I had the sinking feeling that I shouldn't be listening in. But I was frozen, and hoped that they wouldn't discover my presence.

"Kazuma, I know you're just trying to help, but I think I'm doing the right thing."

"Taking the choice away and keeping her in that place?"

"She can make the choice to leave at any time she wants. But right now, I am having to deal with pressure with the main house. If I won't send her to private music school, at the very least it needs to be a Sohma-financed school, and that's the best one!"

"You know, I heard that Yuki is going to an outside school. Kaibara High. You could ask Kanae if-"

"I couldn't do that to her. Yuki has brought her enough pain as it is."

"She's old enough now to make that decision on her own now."

"Didn't you tell me that she wiped the floor with him today? I want to keep her away from any further violence."

"Misaki, that's what your mother tried to do for you. And did that help you at all?!"

They were silent for a stretch.

"Kazuma, I need some time alone to think about this."

"Misaki please, don't push me away."

"Kazuma you need to respect my personal space."

"I do, I just don't want you to do anything rash."

"Kazuma, you're not my husband! I don't have to include you in this!

"It is not an issue of obligation Misaki, but an issue of necessity."

"Gah! You sound like your old man!"

I heard Kazuma's warm laugh echo down to hallway towards me. "Shut up! This isn't funny." She retorted.

I took this opportunity to leave. Running the other way down the hall to my room.
I didn't know quite how to feel. They were arguing, and that fact alone made my heart race, but…they were talking about me, and…It was all so confusing. They seemed so different hen it was just the two of them. I had never known Misaki to get angry like that and…Kazuma too…He—he seemed really worried about her. I knew they were friends, they grew up together but,

I shook my head.

Something about the way she said it, that he wasn't her husband, something about that-

They almost acted like it sometimes. I remembered how I felt when Misaki would show up to watch me spar, she would stand next to Kazuma and both of them would cheer me on. I was certain that must have been at least something akin to having parents. I mean, I have Misaki, I've always had her as my mother. But there was something different about having parents. Something about them being there together, a unified force of caring and support.

It is something that I was lucky to know even a semblance of.