Disclaimer : I own nix, nought, nothing, for this story is based on the characters and situations of Fruits Basket created and owned by Takaya Natsuk. No money is being made and no trademark infringement is intended either.

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Chapter 3. This Ruined Puzzle

Kyo groggily opened his eyes the next day to find himself feeling feverish and light-headed, disconcerted from the shock of being thrashed and beaten from the previous day. He turned over and felt a wet towel slip off his forehead, which seared with an ungodly pain sort of pain, then squinted his eyes and saw a blur of gray, white and black in the corner that resolved itself and turned into Yuki. His rat cousin was sitting upright in the corner of the room with his arms hugging one knee, and his eyes on Kyo, looking as feminine as ever.

"Oh no, not you.." Kyo groaned, holding his painful head. "What're you looking at, sissy?"

Yuki looked at him oddly. "Look who fainted, sissy."

Kyo settled the wet towel back on his forehead, thinking. It was bizarre how he seriously did not remember falling asleep, or getting into bed last night. It was as if an odd blank replaced something in his memory. What did happen to him after he got home from the Main House anyway? Did he somehow blacked out? Did he faint? Nah.

"What are you talking about? I did not faint. Just tell me in less than thirty words why the hell you are here and leave."

"I'm supposed to take turns looking after you while Shigure works and Honda-san does her chores, you ungrateful fainting git." retorted Yuki, "We found you lying spread-eagled on the floor early this morning and thought you were dead. You didn't cleanse your injuries and there was blood everywhere. It was disgusting."

Kyo rolled his eyes, strangely finding that hard to believe. It sounded utterly illogical to him, but without any firm reason - it just did. "Don't make up stories, kuso nezumi!"

Yuki slammed down a bottle of medicine on the side of Kyo's matress, looking slightly ticked off. "Your medicine, Kyo. For your fever, not your brain. You are unbelievable, you know that? You really are. I don't know why I even bother the spending the past hour looking over your stupid sleeping face."

"And who decided your girly face should be the first thing I saw when I woke up? Just go to Hell, Yuki." Kyo added with a sharp flash of annoyance, "And take that damned medicine with you."

"I'll be glad to, but unfortunately, Hell's not where I'm heading." Yuki moved to stand up, and got to his feet. "I'm going to school. It's the last week before Christmas and I don't intend skiving a day. I'll be a Senior in a few months afterall. Unlike you, I take school seriously."

"Shut up! I do take school seriously! You don't know anything, stupid.." growled Kyo. He felt his head spinning. He pulled his blanket up to his shoulders, feeling slightly ashamed of himself to look so weak and vulnerable in front of Yuki.

"My shift is over anyway," Yuki said, glancing at his watch. "It's Honda-san's turn now."

"Tohru's turn?" Kyo murmured, prodding himself on his elbows. "I'd've thought she's walking to school with you."

"No, she's not,–"

"What do you mean she's not? Answer properly!"

"I would if you didn't interrupt me when I was speaking, baka neko." Yuki snapped, "Just don't let her drive herself into exhaustion. I suspect that she stayed up all night worrying about you. She's like that when she's worried."

Kyo twisted his face, both impatiently and confusedly. "What are you talking about?"

"Honda-san is staying at home today," explained Yuki, looking irritable. "to look after you. It's not like her to skive school, and she's only doing this because you're stupid and badly injured. You know how eager she is to finish high school."

"So now it's my damn fault? Think about this, Yuki. It's not like I wanted to be injured!"

"No, but your immense stupidity obviously had had it all planned out. Things like these always seem to happen to you. Or do you think it's fun to see her worried? I think this time you should stay away from trouble, Kyo. Don't you dare worry her anymore. Just get well soon." As soon as the last words came out of his mouth, Yuki paced towards the exit and went out, slamming the door behind him.

Kyo stared at the closed door for several seconds before tossing the blanket over his head, covering himself from the outside world. Yuki had just said 'get well soon' to him, which was a first. But the words were not spoken kindly at all. They were spoken harshly, and with so much hate that there wouldn't be much difference if Yuki had said 'die you inbred moron' instead. It sounded more like blasphemy than an actual wish for greater health.

"Damn that Yuki," muttered Kyo. He pricked his ears as he heard a familiar sound; a rattle of wood, the sliding of a door, someone's feet stepping inside. He didn't want anyone inside right now, not after Yuki pissed him off like that. "Get out!" Kyo shouted to that someone who entered the room.

"Oh!" squeaked a female voice, and sounds of clumsy clutters followed.

Kyo needn't a peek out of his blanket to guess the person who just came in. She was undoubtedly Tohru.

"I-I'm sorry, Kyo-kun!" Tohru began, "I didn't realise you wanted some rest. You must have needed some. I'm so sorry, I didn't think of that. I-I'll go away now, I promise I won't bother you!"

Kyo threw the covers off his torso and shouted after her, cursing himself yet again for acting without thinking. "Wait!" he yelled so loudly his voice rang in his ears, making his head spin, and Tohru stopped in midturn, her face concerned. He saw that her long brown hair was braided down her back, and she was carrying a tray in her hands, where a bowl of hot soup pleasingly lay. As she slowly turned her head to him, Kyo looked away from her. "Uh. I didn't mean to make y-you go away. I just thought you were someone.. insignificant."

Tohru couldn't help but smile. "I made you soup. Would you like some?"

"Uh – yeah, of course."

She kneeled down beside him and placed the tray by his mattress. Kyo noticed that she was wearing her house clothes, and so he realised it was true: Tohru really was staying at home. He felt a pang of guilt in his chest. "You should be at school.. why?"

"Well, I-I'd worry about you too much if I went to school," Tohru answered, and her face flushed at the thought of cutting school. "so I thought I'd stay home for the day. I know Shigure-san is here at home, and it's not that I don't trust him to look after you, but I'd feel much better if it was me who took care of you. I-I don't know why.." she added quickly.

"You.. you shouldn't force yourself too much."

"But I don't," said Tohru automatically. "I want to take care of you. That's why I'm here."

Kyo didn't reply and looked down at his bandaged hand - he didn't realise it was bandaged, but it was, and his head was too. He thought of yesterday, at the Main House, where he fell in front of Akito, bloodied and bruised. If he was unable to protect even himself, how was he supposed to protect Tohru? Yuki would have probably done better. He looked up. "Are you.. really okay with this?"

Tohru looked straight at him, and knew at once what he meant. "You don't have to worry about me," she said, "I'm perfectly fine! Akito-san didn't hurt me at all."

"Don't lie to me. It's not making me feel any better."

Tohru held his hand as if desperate to assure him, and the feel of her hand against his own sent shudders to his spine. "I'm quite alright," she said. "Really, I'm—"

"Well, you shouldn't be. You shouldn't be okay. You should be angry. God damn it, you should have left the house."

"But I mean it," Tohru said, with more ardor. Her eyes were very bright. "Yuki-kun and the others came just in time, and Akito-san did calm down a little while after that. From then on, everything was under control. Akito-san even gave me some cookies to take home! He was very kind. But, what I'm really worried about is," her expression turned anxious. "you, Kyo-kun. What happened to you?"

Kyo shrugged dismissively. "You can it see for yourself - I'm all right."

She shook her head. "Hatori-san said that burn on your wrist looked quite serious when he checked on you this morning. He didn't know what might have caused such a burn. He said it was irregular, and I had to agree with him. He also said you had a slight concussion."

Concussion? Is that why he couldn't remember anything after he got home from the Main House last night? So he's suffering partial amnesia? How cliché is that?

"Look, whatever Hatori said to you, ignore it. He's obviously exaggerating too much and I can see that's scaring you. Ignore him, okay? Trust me."

Tohru looked upset, and her hand went back to her lap. She was probably thinking how pointless it would be to argue over such a thing. If he didn't want to talk about it, then he probably won't. There was no need to push the issue further. "Okay.." she said defeatedly, "But please, can you eat your soup? At least I can convince myself that you're fine once you finish it."

Kyo smiled. "Stupid," he said, hitting her playfully on her head. "I never intended on not eating it anyway."

Tohru enthusiastically shoved the bowl towards Kyo, "Here." she said, "I hope you enjoy it."

The soup looked incredibly appetizing to Kyo who hadn't had anything to eat since the day before, and he could feel his stomach churn hungrily. Yet a distinct smell the greenish soup gave made something in Kyo's instinct jolt to avoid. Instincts also told him to look suspiciously at Tohru. "Oy. That's not leek soup is it?"

A slight falter in Tohru's move betrayed her. "Uhm," she mumbled, and then it dawned on him.

"You dare put leeks in my soup..? I HATE leeks!!" Kyo burst out, and Tohru's face fell.

"B-But Kyo-kun! Leek is supposed to be very good for the fever," she reasoned. "The leek soup you made for me long ago inspired me greatly, so I made one for you too. So it'll give you strength! Would you please eat it, just for the sake of your health?"

If Tohru had asked Kyo to blow up the house, he probably would have done it. He swore silently to himself. "Well, okay, uhm, since you're so good at cooking and all, maybe this leek soup would taste somehow.. different.. I guess." with trembling hands he moved the bowl closer to him, and raised the spoon to his mouth. "I-Itadakima-a-a-su."

The taste of leek on his tongue was appalling, but it was as if looking at Tohru gave him the strength to endure it. She was obviously gazing at him with the utmost expectations, and Kyo knew that in her little heart, she was praying silently that he would enjoy this meal somehow. And putting aside his never-ending issues with leeks, he actually did.

"Kyo-kun," he heard Tohru utter graciously after a few tormenting minutes, "you finished it!"

Kyo stared at his empty bowl. So he did. "Goichizo-sama," he murmured softly, obviously amazed with himself. He wondered briefly, where did all that horrible taste go?

"See, Kyo-kun?" said Tohru happily, her hands placing his bowl back to her tray. "With hard work and a little pain, the best of things shall come by you. I'm sure you'll get better in no time!"

When she raised her head to him, Kyo realised she was smilling broadly. He gulped. There was always something about Tohru's smile that made Kyo feel like a pinned marshmallow. Maybe it was the way her eyes narrow gratefully, or the way her lips seem to curve up like an archer's bow, or perhaps, it was the very fact that her smile was the most genuine thing he had ever seen. Her smile was worth everything to him.

What was it that she said earlier, Kyo thought absent-mindedly. With hard work and a little pain, huh? Okay.

"Oy," Kyo called. His eyes avoided her gaze, but his arm was outstreched with his empty bowl. "How about a refill?"

**

"Are you joining us for dinner, Ha-san?"

Hatori trapped a cigarette between his lips. "Maybe," he answered, reaching over the table for his lighter. "But we'll see." It was already afternoon, and he hadn't left Shigure's house since he dropped them off in the morning, and to his great amazement, he was really getting used to the house. Before Tohru was there, it was always like stepping inside a pig's den, and Hatori never bothered to waste time inside. But now that Tohru cleaned everything up, a feeling of comfort he never thought belonged there was brought up to the surface.

"Strange of you to be out from the Main House for this long." Shigure mused, his eyes scanning the page of the newspaper he was holding. "Won't Akito be looking for you?"

"He has Kureno beside him. He won't even realise I'm out."

"I understand why you're avoiding him, Ha-san. Especially after what happened last night."

"Yes, last night wasn't nice." Hatori muttered nonchalantly, flicking his lighter which somehow refused to work. He tried flicking it a few more times, but the results remained the same. He grunted, loudly enough for Shigure to notice and look up at him.

"Out of gas?" Shigure asked, snickering slightly. "Now that won't work. Use this one." He took out a lighter from inside his yukata and threw it to Hatori, who caught it. "You can have that. Present for you!" he added.

Hatori raised an eyebrow. "Have this? To hear such a thing from you, I'm quite surprised. You can't be serious."

"Of course I am!" replied Shigure buoyantly, "It's yours anyway. With my falcon eyes, I saw, I came, and I snatched it away from your table when you weren't looking yesterday!"

Falcon eyes? Hatori pretended he didn't hear that. "So you were just giving me back something you stole from me. I should have known." he lit his cigarette and placed the lighter back where it belonged – inside his coat.

As Hatori smoked, Shigure continued scanning the newspaper, and by the quick turning of the pages, Hatori was quite certain his cousin was not quite reading it. He also noticed Shigure wore a hazy expression on his face, one he often used when he was thinking of a plot for his novels, or perhaps, a plot for his own actions. "Are you sure Akito won't be looking for you?" Shigure suddenly piped up. He seemed to have finished reading the newspaper which was folded neatly on the floor.

Hatori narrowed his eyes. "Why do you ask? Are you hiding something, Shigure?"

"Ha-san, please don't answer a question with another question."

"I've already answered that question. There is no need to answer it again."

"I just wanted you to be sure. No one can predict Akito's doings."

"You mean no one but you."

Shigure looked surprised. "I didn't say that."

"No, you didn't." A puff of smoke escaped from between Hatori's lips, with shapes like cloudy 'O's. "But I guessed that was your point."

Shigure laughed, without real humor. "Sometimes you can joke, Ha-san." he said. "But you're not funny when you do. I feel so naked and exposed around you. It feels good. It feels like coming home."

"I'm not 'home'."

"I know you're not. You're in mine."

Hatori shot him a look of dislike. "Don't play with fire, Shigure." he said coldly, "Sometimes you are reckless."

"Yes, sometimes I am." agreed Shigure, his lips twitching into a dormant smile. "For that, you really shouldn't interfere. You don't want to trip and fall into one of my recklessness, do you?"

Hatori didn't say a word, much too unprepared to venture a comment. He stared at his friend's face as if he was a puzzle he could not solve. Maybe, he thought, Shigure was really a whole lot more unpredictable than he was ever given credit for.

**

Tohru soaked the small towel in the basin, where the water was icy against her fingers. She took it out and squeezed it as hard as she could until only minor drops of water dripped from it. Then she placed it, very carefully, on Kyo's warm forehead. She looked down at him. "It's not too cold, is it Kyo-kun?"

"It's wet. I'm sick. What was I supposed to feel?" Kyo yawned, "I knew I shouldn't have eaten that leek.."

"Ah.. but I see you're sweating now. Hatori-san informed that would be a good sign."

Kyo closed his eyes. "A good sign, huh?" he said, his voice somewhat remote. "That's probably what I need right now.."

Tohru wondered what he was talking about. Perhaps he was still thinking about what happened in the Main House. She decided to change the subject, "Er, Kyo-kun. Don't you think the weather's somewhat strange? It usually snows around Christmas, but this year it snowed a week beforehand. It's rather odd, don't you think?"

A faint mumble was her only answer. She stared at him. It was amazing how different Kyo looked when he was sleeping. His eyes shut fast, and his dark lashes contrasted against his pale skin. He looked handsome, but in an oddly eerie way. Something in his face changed, yet she couldn't put her finger on what it is. "Kyo-kun," she asked softly. "are you falling asleep?"

Kyo jerked awake guiltily. "Huh? No. Not at all."

"I'm sorry," apologized Tohru, but she was looking at him with amusement. "I must have disturbed you in mid-sleep."

"Mpphnope. Just tired. Not sleepy."

"You're closing your eyes. You're tired. Have some rest."

"I said me not sleepy. Me just rest eyes.. for a while." Kyo drew in a deep breath, his cheek resting on the palm of his hand, and his eyes fluttered to a close.

Tohru smiled to herself, thinking about those early hours in the morning when Kyo ate five servings of her homemade leek soup. She was overjoyed. A tingling feeling in her chest whispered to her that his actions were done entirely to please her, but perhaps she was just being overly romantic. She had hoped something else would happen after that. She had hoped some magic would occur, yet only normal conversations followed thereafter. Mostly she talked about school and he listened to her as he streched along his matress. He also did homework and she watched him carefully, pointing out his mistakes once in a while.

After some time he grew tired, perhaps a side-effect from his medicine, and he laid down and drowned under his covers. It only took a moment for her to realise that he fevered once again. He continued being fevered for hours, from noon until the evening claimed time. Tohru had stayed by his side the whole way through; changing the towels on his forehead, brushing his hair out of his eyes, listening to his never-ending complaints, and cracking cheesy jokes that only made him frown.

Now he had fallen asleep, and quite deeply. She gazed at his sleeping face. His eyes were closed. His lids faintly colored from the fever. She bent down and gently kissed his temple. He did not move. She wondered what he was dreaming.

**

Kyo dreamt of an undying place that lacked light, time, and even sound. Everything around him was pitch black, as black as ebony and his dreams nowadays, but there was no sound to guide him as before. Sound was a faraway country he could not touch. And peculiar it was, considering most of his recent dreams were invaded by the most scariest sounds he had ever heard: swords clashing, people screaming, husky voices urging him to find something.. important..

At first it felt like a dreamless sleep he could rest in. But no matter how hard he tried, his body would not allow rest. Peaceful sleep crawled away from him and slipped away like water, and as his body tugged him further into the darkness, he realised something that would make his sleep not a dreamless one. Whereas everything else around him and beyond was as black as ink, a fracture was seen in the distance. A fracture that had the colour of snow, and it looked a white stain against a midnight veil.

That white fracture shouldn't be there, Kyo knew that. That dab of ivory in the horizon was ruining the whole picture. It was a flaw, it was not supposed to fit anywhere. Everything was supposed to be pure black! It is wrong, and it would be as wrong as not hearing nature's voice, not bowing to nature's call. Kyo was angry and went on being angry without knowing why. He ran forthwards, intenting to annihilate that white fault in the dark. He must reach it. He must annihilate it.

But, before he even reached it, the whole blackness was suddenly damaged. Kyo stared in horror as what was once a single crack of white break into multiple roots that spread all over the empty space like cracks on a clay. His surroundings suddenly shattered like a mirror being broken, and it collapsed into pieces, raining down on him like shards of broken black glass. The falling pieces revealed a white canopy that must have hid behind it, and it gave him a blinding brightness like the brilliant light of dawn after the sleeping hours of night.

This was a nightmare. He rejected the light that shone upon him. That light concealed him from the invisible world of hope and redemption he must win over. He wished for the darkness back, the darkness that reminded him so much of.. something..

As the black pieces continued to fall, one by one, Kyo slowly came to understand what it reminded him of.

Like a puzzle

Yes, he thought. This place had been a puzzle. His own puzzle, the one he had obtained by seeking each little scrap and picking up each little shred. But his puzzle was ruined now. It was cracked and destroyed. What his puzzle consisted of, Kyo couldn't seem to remember. But he swore, by his own name, that he will find each pieces of the puzzle one more time, and put it into place with his own hands.

**

"Sohma KYO!!"

Yuki was mildly entertained in class when Mayuko-sensei hit Kyo's head with a blue jumbo chalk. "What have I told you about sleeping in my class, Sohma?" Mayuko-sensei glowered, and with her lofty frame, she towered over a vague-looking Kyo.

"Sorry, Sensei." mumbled Kyo, rumpling his hair which had partly turned blue because of the chalk. He was looking quite drained, even for someone who had just recovered from a fever. "I haven't been sleeping well."

The female teacher sighed, flipping close the book in her hand. "Look, Sohma. I understand you've only just recovered from your illness, but you've been sleeping in almost every period. That's just ridiculous. You can wash your face of you want, but once I hear about you sleeping in class again, there'll be no more toleration. Understand?"

"I understand, Sensei."

"You'd better." Mayuko-sensei flipped her book open again, turned, and walked back to the front of the classroom, hastily continuing what she had been teaching. "..and after wounding shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu, the great General Sanada Yukimura comitted seppuku in 1615.."

A sudden eruption of whispered remarks ran around Kyo:

"Busted! Naughty Kyon-chan is sleeping in class."

"Ne, Kyon-kyon. Are you insomniac or something?"

"I bet Kyon-kyon reads porn under his blankets with a torchlight. That's why he couldn't sleep!"

Kyo flushed with rage. "I never do that!" he hissed a little too loudly, causing Mayuko-sensei to give him yet another glare.

Uotani Arisa, who sat two desks away from him, scrunched up a tiny paper ball and flicked it towards Kyo, which bounced off his forehead. "Nice, Kyon." she said teasingly as Kyo turned to glare at her, "I have to admit you never struck me as that type of guy."

"I'm telling you I'm not into that stuff!" he said hotly, and then everyone else around him fell into fits of laughter, their hands slapping his back, hitting his arm playfully, or just messing up his hair; all touching him in a way, and Kyo smiled. No one had ever touched Yuki like that before. People touched him, of course. With a hand on his shoulder or by a formal handshake, but never hit or slap him or mess with his hair. A creeping sadness suddenly invaded Yuki's bones. He turned away from Kyo and caught Tohru's eye, and she smiled at him, the sweetest smile. He smiled back, and as she turned to focus on her History notebook, he did the same also.

Then the bell rang. "Okay, that's it class!" Mayuko-sensei chirped zestfully, gathering her books into her arms. "Homework on page 164, to be handed in before the holidays. Don't forget, and good day!" and she left the room.

Tohru raised from her seat and walked over to Yuki. "Yuki-kun," she said. "Do you have any plans for lunch today?"

"Plans?" Yuki paused. "No, not really. Although I might have to help the student council members move the council equipments to the new room, but I guess that's not until further noon. We won't have a meeting till then. Why do you ask?"

"How about having lunch together?"

She needn't ask. "I'd love to," he said, smiling brilliantly up at her.

Tohru clapped her hands together. "That's great! It's been so long since it snowed this much at school, so I thought we could eat outside with the others. Is that alright with you, Yuki-kun? I-I mean, it's going to be a bit cold outside, and your brochitis-"

"That sounds excellent." Yuki cut in. He didn't want her worrying about him after seeing her worry that much about Kyo. Besides, his brochitis was almost cured. He hadn't had an attack for almost a year now. "Anyway, I like snow." Yuki added, as an afterthought.

"Snow.. is cold." murmured Saki, who suddenly appeared behind Tohru and Yuki filnched back instinctively. "Hanajima-san.." he said, "You gave me a fright. Please don't show up so suddenly like that."

Saki simply raised her eyebrows. "Oh? You are also cold, Sohma Yuki.."

"Wait.. I didn't mean.."

"..cold.."

"Stop that, Hanajima. You're scaring him." said Arisa helpfully, walking towards her. She seemed to be done pestering Kyo.

"Erh, I think Saki is right!" Tohru piped up.

Saki looked merely amused. "Tohru-kun.. you think I am right? How nice of you."

"Yes, snow is cold but it's also very beautiful. My mother used to say that snow is one of God's designs.." she trailed off, perhaps thinking about her mother. Then without warning, she took Yuki's hand and pulled him up. "Oh, come on! Let's all go outside!!"

And before he knew it, Yuki had let himself be dragged out onto the schoolyard, where everything from the ground to the evergreen trees were sugar-coated in white. Sohma Momiji and Sohma Hatsuharu was already there with Kyo, obviously quarelling. Momiji simply looked like a cheerleader who urged them on. Yuki glanced at Tohru, who was gazing at the sight in admiration. "It's beautiful, isn't Honda-san?" he said.

"Yes, it is." she said in an awed voice. "Beautiful."

"It's good to have snow once in a while." said Arisa conversationally, to no one in particular. She was twirling her lunchbox with one finger, as if it was a basket ball. "But don't you think it snowed rather early this year?"

Tohru looked surprisedly at her. "Uo-chan, that's exactly what I thought! How amazing, it's like you read my mind!"

"Maybe Hanajima's powers are rubbing off on me." she grinned at Saki, who simply stared emptily at her. "Or not. Or maybe.. the Gods granted my wish to stuff snow inside Kyon's pants before Christmas!! Ow–!"

"Not a chance, Yankee!" shouted Kyo, grinning with a victorious smile. His hands were full of snow.

Arisa stepped back, brushing snow off the shoulder of her uniform and looking furious. She glared back and forth between Kyo and a small dump on the ground that seemed to be the remains of her lunch. "You spilled my lunch, you stupid Orange-atama!"

"Serves you right for making everyone think I hide porn magazines under my bed!!"

"That's not true? And I thought a real guy owns at least one."

"Erh, excuse me Uotani-san." said Yuki, a nervous hand halfway in the air. "I don't have any either. But please, don't tell me that does not make me a real guy.."

"Oh." Arisa quieted, obviously reconsidering her words. Then her face cracked into a smile. "Of course you don't. You're different, Oujisama! I'd never think that of you! As for Kyon here.."

"Hey! Now you're just being mean! Not all manly guys own t-that stuff!!"

Haru placed a hand on Kyo's shoulder. "I see you have trouble dealing with the facts of life, Kyo." he said blankly.

"Oy, Haru." Kyo said, his voice annoyed. "Don't tell me things like that as if you know about it!"

"I do, actually." Haru said, "I have experienced it.. a few times."

Silence.

"Really, Hatsuharu-san!?" Tohru seemed very surprised. "I didn't know a person with such knowledge even existed near me.. I feel so honored.."

"Honda-san, that's actually not something you should be honored of." Yuki assured her. He glanced in Haru's direction and gave him a mental kick for talking so abrupt in front of Tohru, and Momiji too.

Kyo snorted. "Okay, so you have experience in that department, but you'll still never beat me in other things! I challenge you into a snowball fight!" he pointed at Yuki, "You too, kuso nezumi!!"

Yuki sighed, as if bored. "Aren't you bored of losing, baka neko?"

"Don't just talk!! Come here and fight like a man!!"

Yuki moved over to Tohru. "Honda-san," he said, quietly so that only she could hear him. "Can you please go somewhere else with Uotani-san and Hanajima-san? It would be troublesome if one of us suddenly crashed into them. If you can take Momiji too, that would be better. Kyo seemed quite serious this time."

Tohru nodded, and turned to Momiji, who was building a tiny snowman by her side. "Momiji-kun, come and build a snowcastle with me! Hana-chan and Uo-chan too, I'll show you how good I am at making it!"

"Okay, Tohru!" Momiji said excitedly, taking Tohru's hand.

Arisa crossed her arms, looking doubtful. "Have you made a snowcastle before, Tohru?"

"Erh, no." confessed Tohru, flushing slightly. "But I've made a sandcastle, and it had a pretty good shape!"

"'A pretty good shape'?" echoed Arisa, shaking her head. "Come on, Hanajima. We probably should help her out. Oh, wait I forgot something." she began scrabbling snow with her fingers in an attempt to make a snowball, and with an evil look on her face, she threw it directly at Kyo, who yowled in anger as the snowball hit his face. "Yes! Take that! Take that!"

"Uotani, you stupid Yankee!!" Kyo yelled, but Arisa had already rejoined Tohru and the others, out of earshot and howling with laughter. "I'll get that girl back, I will."

Yuki frowned. "I thought you wanted a snowball fight. Make up your mind, baka neko."

"I agree with Yuki," Haru said, nodding after Yuki.

"Shut up! I meant AFTER our fight!!" Kyo shouted heatedly. "You're all going to lose this time. I'll show you what I'm made of. In the end, I'll definitely say – ow!!"

Haru was laughing. "'Ow' indeed!"

Yuki clapped another pound of snow into his hands, "I think that really tells you not to talk too much during fights."

Kyo shook his head, shaking snow off him. "I.. will.. kill.. you.. both!!" then he jumped on Haru, knocking him over and stuffing snow inside his uniform, and Yuki saw that he was laughing. Really laughing, as though he really enjoyed it. Perhaps unconciously, Yuki thought. Kyo would never laugh like that. He just wouldn't. Haru yelled and began scraping more snow into his hand, and shoved it in Kyo's face in a gleeful manner.

"Yuki!" Haru called, and threw snow at him, causing him to lose his balance and fall on his back.

"Hey, I'm not finished with you, stupid!" yelled Kyo, stuffing Haru's face with as much snow he could find. Yuki smiled at the sight and laid down on his back. This was supposed to be a fight, but why does it feel so peaceful? There was something different about Kyo, perhaps. He seemed more welcome to people than he usually was, except to Yuki. Yuki remembered how Kyo let Arisa go away after hitting him with a snowball. And also when his classmates called him Kyon-kyon.. didn't he see him smile?

"Get up, Yuki. This is no time to make snow angels."

Yuki looked up and saw Kyo, looking down at him. "Come to finish me off?" he said, but not unkindly.

"Yeah, I thought I could kill you under the cover of broad daylight and nobody would notice." Kyo said, and then he grinned, lopsidedly. There was a fresh snowball in his hand. "Take this, kuso nezumi!!"

Yuki rolled away just in time to evade Kyo's snowball, scooping a handful of snow as he did. He righted himself up, and when he turned back to Kyo, Kyo was crouching on the snow and was looking down at his left hand almost quizically. His face was oddly white, expresionless, and his eyes shining with a strange light. He was also shaking, Yuki noticed, as if in fear of something extraordinary. "Kyo…?" Yuki said.

Kyo looked up quickly, his face horrified. "DON'T LOOK AT ME!!" he yelled, and his voice cracked like a whip against his bare skin. Kyo hurled a handful of loose snow in Yuki's face, and Yuki shut his eyes to block the snow from entering his eyes. When he opened them, all he could glimpse of Kyo was his alarmed figure, bolting off towards the school building, and disappearing into it.

"Kyo-kun!" shouted a voice from behind Yuki's ear.

Yuki turned and saw Tohru, standing behind him with a thunderstruck look on her face. She must have heard Kyo's yell, Yuki thought. Tohru turned to him, and a desperate flash in her eyes amazed him. "What happened, Yuki-kun?" her voice was shrill with panic, "Why did he scarper like that? He looked frightened.. and there was something in his eyes that was similar to.. that time.. but why? D-Did you.."

..say something to hurt him?

The unspoken words made Yuki's eyes go round by surprise. It was obviously something she had in mind but couldn't bring herself to say out loud. Tohru just stared at him in dismay, not wanting to believe that he would actually do something as bad. Yuki stood up, and placed both hands on her shoulders. "I don't know, Honda-san." he said this, very slowly and quietly. "Even I don't quite understand what just happened."

After a moment, Tohru nodded, and Yuki sighed in relief. She looked into his eyes and smiled weakly. "Oh, Yuki-kun. I'm sorry. I was afraid something terrible happened between you two." her eyes shifted to the school building, "I think I should go after him–"

"No," said Yuki, his hands still firm on her shoulders. "Let me go. I will go after him."

**

Kyo held his wrist as hard as he can and sprinted into the school halls, ignoring the passing students, teachers, and everyone else who was there. Finally, he crashed into the restroom, and breathed with relief, thankful that no one was inside. He ran to the sink and turned the tap and soaked his hand under the cool water that ran free from it.

He tried to steady his breath, but it just wouldn't do. His wrist had been burning, blistering his skin, ever since he recovered from the fever. He hadn't told anyone, and had hid the burns quite well behind his beads. But then.. at that moment, in the snow, Kyo realised the skin around his wrist had morphed into something so frightening. His skin had turned scaly and yellow and wrinkled, and Kyo felt disgusted with himself just looking at it. It was something else's not his own. And after a moment he realised whose skin it was – the skin of his second form.

But he still had his beads, didn't he? Why was he changing? Didn't it work anymore? Kyo felt helpless, and scared. He didn't know what to do. Perhaps he really was running out of time..

Time

And he remembered.

That night, after coming home from Akito's house, finding the box in his room.. the pieces of his puzzle has finally returned into its rightful place. That something that went out of the box.. Kyo knew what it was. Another curse filled with the utmost revenge. Someone else's revenge. Someone from the past.

You don't have time

"Kyo..hei.." Kyo murmured a name, unwillingly, and he felt something; a strong and sudden heat that could blow him up from inside, as if he was spontaneously combusting. He doubled over, slamming his fists on the sink. "Why does it have to be me? I've got enough on my mind already, damn it!" he yelled.

Yuuka

"Get out of myself! Get out!"

Kidou

Kyo lifted both fists, and the sides of his hands were already bruising badly with a dark shade of blue and purple. He looked at himself in the mirror, and he held his left hand – his monster hand – tightly, as if it would suddenly run wild if he didn't secure it properly. He felt so angry. Never in his life he felt so much hate and revenge. He was astounded at how much hate he was feeling right now, and what angried him more, the hate he was feeling was hate for his own self. His own stupid self, for letting himself get that box and open it. His hand wouldn't turn out this way if he was a little bit smarter..

He glared at himself in the mirror. "Why are you here? Why? I hate you.. I HATE YOU!!" with the last words, Kyo's fist came hurling into the mirror, and it broke with a sound of a thousand shatters, falling into numerous reflective pieces. Then Kyo placed his right hand on the sink, and slumped down to the floor. All of a sudden, he felt old and tired. He rolled over and sat down properly, his back leaning against the wall and looked down at his left hand, where the blood mingled with the glass pieces of the mirror and his horrible yellow skin. "You're disgusting," he said.

He was about to stand up and wash the blood and glass out of his hand when the door opened, and Haru went inside.

"Haru!" said Kyo, shocked at seeing him. Fear of being discovered crept up his skin and he quickly covered his hand with the other, which was a tad gesture in his case. "What are you doing here!?"

Did he see it? Did he see his hand?

Kyo looked hard at him, but Haru's face was unreadable. "Answer me, Haru." he said. Haru's eyes were scanning quickly from Kyo's bloodied hand to his angry face then to his own face in the mirror.

"That's a nasty cut you've got there, Kyo." Haru said tonelessly, and Kyo blinked at him. "I guess you're hacked off because you still can't beat Yuki in a snowball fight. Did you hit that mirror while visualizing Yuki? That's a very childish thing for you to do."

Kyo stared at him. "I don't care. I hate him."

"Here," Haru threw something to Kyo, and he caught it with one hand and felt leather. It was a glove. Kyo recognized it as the glove Haru used for his bicycle rides. The glove was bi-coloured, like Haru's hair; the inner side of it where his palm would be was in vermilion red, and the outer side of it was coloured in white. "It will hide that horrible-looking cut. No one's going to worry about you."

He quickly slipped it on. "Oy, Haru." he said, and Haru stopped from turning around. "You really.. didn't see?"

There was a pause, and it was a dreadful one for Kyo. His heart beat fast inside his ribcage; he wouldn't know what to do if Haru told everyone else about his hideous hand. Please say no, please say no. Kyo urged on mentally. Haru turned his head, just slightly so that Kyo could see his face, "See what?" he said.

Kyo stared at him. So he didn't see it, he thought. All Haru glimpsed was the injury on his hand. That should make him feel better. He should be letting out a breath of relief, or feel the rapid pounding in his heart lessen to a normal pace. He shouldn't be feeling doubt, or this mounting worry in his heart. Haru wouldn't lie about such a thing, would he?

"See what, Kyo?" Haru repeated. His voice was as blank as it usually was whenever he is in White mode.

Kyo looked down at the floor. "Nothing."

Another pause went passing by. Haru turned back, "I think, I'll go and see Yuki." he said. He pushed at the door, and stepped out of the restroom, although not quite out of Kyo's concern.

******