Claws and Talons [Kyo Sohma]

Chapter 14 - That's a Secret

"Sorry for being a downer. That's just how great Kyoko-san was. The legend of the crimson butterfly of route 7 will never be forgotten." Uotani smiles.

"Tohru!" A voice yells.

"Huh?" She gasps as the person grabs her and spins her around. Sticking out from behind her, Momiji starts laughing.

"Hide me! Please?" he asks while laughing.

"Momiji-kun."

"I'm playing cops and robbers right now and I'm the robber!" He exclaims.

"You're being careful, right?" I question him. If he wasn't careful he could run into someone and transform.

"Momiji! It's no use hiding!" A boy yells from the bottom of the stairs and starts running towards us. Momiji starts running off and turns around to yell.

"Tohru, you have work today. I'll see you then.'' With that he continues to run, not really looking where he is going. His friend rushes past us and I quickly move out of the way so as not to transform.

"Everybody, I found Momiji!" His friend shouts turning the corner after Momiji.

"I hope he's careful."

"Momiji-kun, look where you're running." Tohru tells him, a slight panic in her voice worrying for him.

"Oh yeah, I wonder which of his parents are german?" Uotani questions.

"I believe it's his mother, but you have to ask him about it." I answered her. Momiji returns and jumps down the stairs landing between us.

"Oof!" he says as he lands. He scares Tohru, making her scream and runs down the stairs yelling. "Sorry, Tohru!"

His friend followed closely behind. "Wait, Momiji!"

"Please, watch where you're running." Tohru repeats heading down the stairs to keep her eyes on them so they don't injure themselves.

"Tohru-kun has worked so hard, don't you think?" Hanajima wonders.

"huh?"

"For her to become as cheerful as she is now, she must have had to berate herself constantly for moments of discouragement." She explains

"I was never able to smile that much when my mother died. It took me a while to smile again." I confessed.

"If Tohru were to die, that way a year out. I might wish that we never met. Tohru-kun's worked hard."

---

I was standing at the top of the stairs listening to Kyo and Yuki talking. Tohru had gone to work and I didn't really know where Shigure was. "I'll be going too. To visit the grave." Kyo says before heading up the stairs and passing me.

"Thank you, Tohru's going to appreciate it." I tell him

"That's not the only reason I'm going." he explains and heads off into his room.

---

Finally it was the day we were going to go visit Tohru's mother and I would be stopping by to visit my own mother. I was carrying a small bouquet of dark flowers and white flowers. Mom had always said she liked the combination of flowers because it matched us. I had white hair while mom had very dark hair. We were almost at the main platform where we were meeting Uotani and Hanajima.

"I'm glad the weather cleared up. I was worried, since it's been a little drizzly." Yuki points out.

"It might be because mom is happy." Tohru says "That's because everyone has come to visit her."