Disclaimer- I do not own Fruits Basket, Natsuki Takaya does. Enjoy

Chapter 2: Murky Faces

"Kyo!"

Hatori quickly stood up and abandoned the girl; leaving her soiled by the floor's dirty water. She wasn't of any importance anymore. Normally he would provide more etiquette toward the people whose memories he just erased. As a part of his mannerism, he would sit beside them and wait for them to awaken and tell them a small lie about finding them unconscious. If needed, he would tell them that they probably needed to get themselves a checkup with a doctor for they most likely had a major illness but console them that they were probably going to be all right at the same time; but not this time. No, Kyo was more important than the girl. She could wake up and believe that she got raped for all he cared.

Hatori swiftly pulled Kyo up into a sitting position and shook him but the only response he was given was Kyo's head lulling into his chest.

"Kyo. Kyo, wake up." Kyo gave no indication of arousing. Hatori found his heart palpating hard in his chest.

Hatori quickly gathered Kyo into his arm and ran to his car.

Within seconds, Hatori had Kyo strapped safely in the passenger seat and the car in reverse before it quickly peeled down the road.

Hatori could feel himself sweating and his hand becoming clammy against the wheel. This was far worse than somebody knowing their curse. Yes, the possibility that Kyo had no memories was far worse than somebody exposing them. Much worse.

Hatori gave a quick sideway glance toward his orange head cousin. Kyo's head was pressed lightly against the window as the car shook under the uneven asphalt. He was looking slightly pale.

What have I done?

"She's close," Yuki murmured as his eyes trailed after the rats that scurried along the bottom of the buildings.

Haru merely nodded. He felt exhausted. Whether the fatigue was bred from the apprehension, the strain, or maybe a concoction of both, he wasn't too sure. All he was sure about was that he wanted it all to end soon. His mind slightly lingered over to Kyo and he found himself wondering where the cat was. They were supposed to meet up awhile ago.

They turned into a dark, musty pathway before the rats gathered at Yuki's feet and vocalized high pitch squeaks.

Haru and Yuki looked further down the path and took notice of a slumped form that was noticeably female. They took a few steps closer and accessed the unconscious girl.

"Is that her?"

"Yeah." Haru sighed with relief as he dragged a hand down his face tiredly.

Before they handled the matter any further, Yuki crouched down and addressed his fellow furry friends. They quickly gathered beside Yuki, forcing Haru to take a few hasty steps back.

"Thank you for helping us," Yuki smiled down at the little rodents. "You were a great help."

Yuki watched as the rats dispersed and went back to their designated areas of home before turning his attention back at Haru.

"What happened to her?" Yuki cautiously placed a hand on her shoulder and moved her to see her face better. He vaguely recalled seeing her walk the same halls as them at their school but nothing further than that.

"Don't know." Haru leaned against one of the walls while crossing his arms. "She looked pretty freaked when she saw Momiji transform. Maybe she passed out after her little panic."

"Do you think Hatori got to her?"

"No," Haru shook his head while he examined the ground for a blue placebo pill. "He didn't leave an indicator."

After years of erasing memories and chasing people who had discovered their secret, the dragon was told to always leave an indicator next to a person whose memories he erased if he could not carry them back to the Main House or wait for them to wake. This helped the members of the zodiac to know who to carry and not to carry back so Hatori could handle them. The said indicator was in the form of a blue pill.

Yuki took a hold of her wrist and checked for a pulse. There was one- a strong one, too. Just as he was placing her hand back down, he spotted a tipped over can settled closely along her foot.

"Maybe she tripped over that," Yuki pointed toward the can as he put one and one together. "And concussed."

Haru nodded in agreement. "That would explain why she's still out."

Yuki sighed as he stood up. "Come on, we got to take her to Hatori. She might still remember even with that concussion."

"Do we have to?" Haru really wasn't looking forward to lugging her all the way to Shigure's. Though Haru wouldn't deem her as fat, she didn't look all that light either.

"Haru." Yuki said sternly before gripping her wrist tightly and hauling her front off the ground.

"Fine." Haru grumbled as he followed in Yuki's action and took her two legs and heaved her up.

It was going to be awhile before they would get to Shigure's without anyone noticing two teenage boys caring an unconscious girl.

Hopefully, she wouldn't wake up between being jostled back and forth and the grunting from her two said carriers.

Shigure stood impatiently next to the stove while he waited for the pot to heat up. While he looked composed on the outside, there was turmoil within. Though it wasn't the first time an outsider had discovered them and bolted, this was the first time that it had taken this long to capture them.

Momiji and Tohru had come home to report the news over an hour ago and still no updates on the issues. After hearing the news, Shigure had told Momiji to walk Tohru to work and stay there with her to keep her company. He didn't want suspicions to be raised if diligent Tohru didn't show up to work like she usually did. Thus, Shigure was left alone in the house to fancy his worries by himself.

Shigure jumped as he heard his front door pounding. He quickly walked toward the door.

"Hari, did you get-" Shigure addressed his friend as he slid the door further open. He quickly found his mind going blank when he saw Kyo in a worried Hatori's arms.

"What happened to, Kyo?" Shigure demanded loudly as he pushed the door fully open. His worry suddenly increasing dramatically. "Did that girl do this to him?"

Hatori quickly pushed passed Shigure and gently placed Kyo onto the sofa.

"Hatori!" Shigure demanded angrily. "What happened? Why is Kyo unconscious? Where are Yuki and Haru? Where's that girl?"

"I handled the girl already!" Hatori snapped. Shigure was slightly taken aback by Hatori's sudden rough demeanor but, then again, Shigure wasn't really acting like himself right now either.

"Then what's wrong with Kyo?" Shigure asked in a more composed manner. At least one of their issues had been checked off.

Shigure watched Hatori silently cover Kyo with a blanket while his hands gave off slight tremors. He noticed how regretful Hatori's eyes look. Shigure's relief about the girl was suddenly canceled and filled with worry again.

Dry swallowing, Shigure started again but this time in a more composed manner.

"Hari, what happened?"

"I might have…" Hatori kept his eyes on Kyo.

"You might have what?"

"I-" They jumped as the teapot whistled from the kitchen.

"Let me get that real quick." Shigure quickly shuffled his way over to the kitchen and turned the stove off. When he returned, he handed Hatori a cup of tea in hope that it would calm both of their nerves.

They sipped it quietly before Hatori broke the silence.

"His memories…" His grip on his cup tightened as he tried to push the vile words out of his mouth. "They might be gone."

Shigure choked on his tea. His throat was burning. "What?"

"I was about to erase her memory and I didn't see Kyo there. He was standing right behind her and he was in the aim of the light."

"You don't think that-"

"Watch it, Haru!" Yuki and Haru stumbled in through the open door. "You might wake her!"

Hatori and Shigure quickly stood up in shock as their two younger cousins carried in a girl. The movement notified Yuki and Haru of their audience.

"Oh, good," Haru said evenly. "Hatori's here. Erase her memories."

"Hari, I thought you said you erased her memories already." Shigure turned toward Hatori, confused.

"I-" Hatori was interrupted from a groan on the couch. Hatori and Shigure quickly went to Kyo's side as he stirred.

"Kyo," Hatori kneeled next the couch while holding Kyo's shoulder.

"What do you mean Hatori erased her memories already?"

Kyo opened his eyes and stared blankly around the room. He held his head and winced. He was feeling really light-headed. And everything was too bright to his liking.

"Kyo, do you rem-" Shigure started but was, once again, cut off.

"Stupid Cat," Yuki reprimanded. "You were supposed to help us catch the girl."

"Not now, Yuki," Hatori interjected hotly while he steadied Kyo into a sitting position who still looked dazed. Hatori noted Kyo's eyes which looked slightly dilated.

"Can we erase her memories now?" Haru asked impatiently. His arms were starting to burn from holding her too long. She was heavier than he thought.

"I already erased her memories."

"What do you mean you already erased her memories?" Haru yelled. Haru did not just waste his energy to carry her here for nothing.

"You didn't leave any indicator that you erased her memories though," Yuki quickly put in. "You always do. Are you sure you did, Hatori?"

"Hatori already erased her memories!" Shigure grounded out as he tried to focus on Kyo. "Now is not the time to deal with her."

Kyo watched the people around him interact through glazed eyes. God, they were being too loud for liking.

"Whatever."Haru dropped the girl's leg from his grasp soundly and without care. The unceremonious action caused the girl to heave into Yuki. Not too later, a poof appeared and a little rat soon emerged.

Kyo gasped as he felt his eyes widen. Hatori turned his attention back to Kyo as he heard him produce a small noise. "Kyo, are you alright?"

"Oh, sorry, Yuki." Haru stated, oblivious to Kyo's condition, as he watched Yuki crawl away from the girl's body. "You okay?"

Yuki sighed. "I'm fine."

They all jumped as a high pitch scream suddenly erupted.

Shigure and Hatori automatically turned to Kyo but were surprised that it wasn't Kyo who was screaming- it was the girl.

"Oh my gosh," she shrieked. "That filthy rat just spoke! That's impossible! Rats can't speak!"

It was in that moment that Yuki turned back into a human which only caused the girl to scream some more. He quickly covered himself with his shirt.

"P-Prince Yuki!" her horrendous screaming was starting to grate on Haru's nerve. "You just turned into a rat! No, wait, that rat just turned into Prince Yuki. Wha-"

Haru whacked her right across the head with a pan that he got from the kitchen.

Her eyes rolled inside her skull before slumping back onto the ground.

"You could have handled that better, Haru," Yuki stated as he slipped on the rest of his clothes, but, in all honesty, he didn't really care how he handled the girl; he just thought it was an appropriate thing to be said at that moment. "We have to erase her memories …again, I think."

"She was making my ears bleed." Haru justified as the pan slipped from the cow's grip and clanked loudly against the floor.

Kyo flinched which Haru noticed.

Hatori and Shigure turned their attentions back to awfully silent Kyo. Their girl's sudden disruption had them momentarily forget about Kyo's condition.

"Are you okay, Kyo?" Haru asked as he approached him. Haru hardly ever saw Kyo flinch; it just wasn't normal. Haru was even more surprised when Kyo veered away from his outstretched hand when he tried to touch his arm.

"What's wrong with you, Cat?"Yuki arched a brow at the displayed action.

"This isn't good." Hatori stated.

"Kyo," Shigure approached this time with his hand out in a harmless gesture. "Calm down, we won't hurt you."

Kyo pressed himself further into the couch as he folded his legs against his chest.

"Why did you turn into a rat?" Kyo pointed toward Yuki.

Yuki didn't answer. No, he was too shocked to answer. Yuki suddenly became hyperaware of how worried Hatori and Shigure were being with Kyo when they came in with that girl. But how? How did he suddenly not remember them?

When he didn't receive a response, Kyo clutched his head and winced as he felt his head pulse.

"Kyo," Hatori gently grabbed Kyo's arm. "Listen to me."

"Don't touch me!"Kyo roughly pulled his arm away. He breathed heavily for awhile before turning to them and asking the question that Hatori and Shigure were dreading to hear for the past thirty minutes.

"Who are you people?"

A/N: So, that's chapter two. Honestly, I'm not really too happy with this chapter. Sorry if it seems to be kind of slow and if they seem somewhat OOC.

In the manga and in the anime, when Hatori erases people's memories there's that light that shoots out (it's probably just for effect, and there is probably no actual light that is produced, but oh well.) of his hands. I think Momiji might have watched Hatori erase his mother's memories (I can't remember, it's been awhile) or maybe he just heard them talking about it.

For the sake of this story, when Hatori erases people's memories a light is produced and if you are in the line of fire of that light then your memory will be affected (Kyo's case). If you're standing to the side and just watching it happen but not in the line of fire (Like in Momiji's case) then you are not affected by it.

Of course, thank you so much to those who reviewed, followed, and favorited. Those actions are greatly appreciated especially the reviews! They make me so happy!

On the bright side, I believe this is the fastest I ever updated. Haha.

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