They were in the meadow, he and Shinya, neither in their fox form nor human form, just their existence, playing in the grassy fields. The sunlight was bright and it seemed almost sweet. He and Shinya were chasing after each other, giggling and laughing happily. Then suddenly a cloud hovered over them and Toshiya could not see Shinya anymore.

All alone, he was in a dark place; wandering aimlessly, lost. Toshiya could feel his heart beating fast against his ribs as he turned round and round, not seeing anything.

Shinya! he cried out but no voice came from his lips.

Then slowly a hazy image appeared before him…an image of Shinya, happy and smiling. Toshiya tried to reach put for him but Shinya moved away.

Shinya was wearing a pastel shade of yellow with little daisies and butterflies fluttering on the skirt of the dress and he whirled around as if he was dancing in the sun, chasing those unseen butterflies in the breeze. ‘Toshiya…’ Shinya turned back and smiled at him.

Toshiya chased after him, following the light that surrounded Shinya. Silent tears sprang from his eyes as he wailed, wanting Shinya to wait for him. But Shinya didn’t stop. Toshiya continued running but he tripped and fell down.

The tears wetted his cheeks. Then he felt a soft hand touching his face, bringing it up.

‘Shinya?’

Shinya bent down, his long brown hair cascading down his shoulders. He gave Toshiya a gentle kiss on the lips. ‘Goodbye, Toshiya.’

Then he slowly faded.

‘NOOO!!!!!!!!!!!’

***

He buried his face in his palms, sobbing. The breeze was getting chilly against his nude body so he wrapped his long arms around himself and got up. Walking slowly, he approached the lake.

The waters seem dark and so deep that he imagined there was nothing but blackness under it. He wiped the tears that crept into his eyes and just watch his reflection against the water. His face appeared overly delicate with his eyes glazed and his skin pale; his black hair fell down to frame his face, the ends of the strands touching the water and creating little circular ripples on the surface.

Do you like what you see?

Hm?

A human…always…watching the dawn…as a human…

Toshiya touched his reflection and it got distorted at the edges.

Don’t want to be alone…

***

Shinya stood there, motionless.

"Gah, what happened to you?!" Die exclaimed, pointing at the unruly state Shinya was in but Shinya didn’t hear him.

"Toshiya?" he blabbed out, the name sounded awkward to his lips.

"Good morning, Shinya," Toshiya voice was clear and had an alluring lilt to it.

Die and Kyo watched this exchange curiously. But Kaoru frowned. There was something familiar about this guest, the way he acts and his name. He would dig his memory but whenever he came close to it, a sudden haze seemed to block out everything and he would find himself more and more convinced that he has never met Toshiya before.

***

"We have a cousin named Toshiya?" Kyo asked as he and Die walked up the spiralling stairs. Below them, in the hall, sat Toshiya in his flowing black gown chatting amiably with their mothers.

"Hm…Mother and Auntie seems quite certain about it." Die said.

"He dresses funny."

Die paused. "Haha, but it does go with him…that dress," the redhead’s eyes sparkled but he wasn’t really thinking about Toshiya but someone else…in a dress…a pale yellow dress, with long brown curls cascading over his shoulders…

Ohh…

"Hello…?" Kyo’s eyes went -__-; as he waved a hand before Die’s eyes. "Hey, wake up!"

Die broke off from his fantasy and looked crossly at the shorter man. "Nani?"

"You…is something wrong with you? You’ve been staring into space quite often lately," Kyo poked his chest.

"Nothing!" Die denied and hurriedly raced up the stairs with Kyo following him.

"Come on, tell me! I’m your cousin and best friend-you can -trust- me!!!" Kyo chased after the redhead. "Die!!! Stop!"

"Like real I could!" Die turned his head back at Kyo and stuck out his tongue.

"Hey. St…"

Too late. Kyo shut his eyes tightly as a loud crash was heard; his cousin had collided with Shinya.

Die gasped as raised himself on his elbows. "Are you okay?" he asked Shinya who was crushed beneath his weight. "Shinya, Shinya!" he patted the cheeks gently.

Shinya’s hazel eyes slowly blinked open.

"Are you hurt?"

The brown-haired man shoved him off. "I’m fine," he said, getting up and dusting himself.

"You sure you’re okay?" Die had a worried look on his face. "I’m sorry ne…"

Shinya gave him a glaring look and quickly walked down the stairs.

From a few feet away, Kyo stood and the puzzle slowly fitted itself in his mind. ‘Oh-hoh…so that’s it ne? Kekeke!’

***

Kaoru leaned against the brick wall. He could feel the sharp vines that covered the wall like horrendous spider webs, crawling to the top and over to the other side, outside the grounds of the mansion. "Fu…" he wiped the sweat of his forehead with the sleeve of his old shirt, the one he wore always for gardening.

The sun shone on his face. It was way after noon but Kaoru had not eaten a bite since the green pea soup he had for breakfast. But amazingly, he was not hungry.

Leaning forward, a hand on the wooden handle of the rake, he turned his head towards the mansion. He thought about the black-haired beauty that came to their doorstep in the middle of the night, dressed in full gown and scarf with a small bag next to his(er…her? His?-Kaoru thinking hard) feet. How weird. At the first glimpse, Kaoru had thought he knew him. But after a while, he had not a single clue why he thought so.

Toshiya…

‘What’s your name…?’

‘Toshiya.’

‘I am Toshiya, your cousin from Auvergne…’

Toshiya? From Auvergne? Kaoru shook his head, trying to clear the cloud inside, as he gripped the handle tightly. It must have been the lack of food and my injury. Of course I don’t know him! He’s Die and Kyo’s cousin-an aristocrat like them in a land which name I can’t even pronounce...

Kaoru sighed, looking with hooded eyes at the glaring sun.

Yet that name…so familiar…that name…

Toshiya…