Yuki was led down the dark corridor to Akito's room, holding tightly to his mother's hand.
"Mom, please don't make me go!" he cried. "Let me stay with you!"
"Tsk!" was his mother's curt reply. "You should be grateful that the head of house is so fond of you!"
"But mother!" he wailed.
His mother pulled away her hand and slapped him.
"Now be quiet!" she ordered, "Do you want to annoy Akito?"
Yuki buried his face in his sleeve and sniffed. Why didn't his mother understand? The two of them stopped outside Akito's room and his mother knocked sharply on the door.
"Come in," said a soft voice. Yuki's mom opened the door and pushed Yuki through.
"Be good, Yuki," his mother told him. "You are very special to be born in the year of the rat." Yuki looked terrified but went in to see Akito anyway.
"Akito?" he whispered. Akito looked up.
"Good, I though that you were never going to get here," Akito hissed.
"I-I'm sorry, Akito," he apologized nervously. Akito sneered and motioned with her hand.
"Come here," she commanded. Yuki gulped and nervously walked toward the head of house. She smiled.
"You know your mother's right, Yuki," she cooed, "you are VERY special to have been born in the year of the rat. You'll see." He said nothing but trembled slightly.
Akito's smiled widened. "Now take a seat, make yourself at home." Yuki obeyed her command and took a seat next to her. He flinched as she reached over and snatched his hand.
"W-what are you…doing?" Yuki asked shakily, his eyes widening.
"Oh nothing," she answered, taking a small knife out of her obi. Yuki gasped and tried to pull free but she held him fast. "Don't worry, dear Yuki, I would never hurt you."
Akito then put the sharp blade to his finger and cut it with one quick motion. Yuki yelped and tried to pull away once again but Akito refused to let him go.
"Look," She said, squeezing his finger so the blood dripped out of the wound. "This is our future. Nothing but violence and pain!"
Yuki screamed in fright and finally managed to regain his freedom. Akito just stared at the flood on her fingers, the knife still in her hand. Yuki curled up in one corner of the room trying to get away from Akito. She was completely out of her mind. She had just said that she would never hurt him.
"Akito, that hurt a lot," Yuki whined. Akito rolled her eyes.
"Stupid Yuki, I was only showing you the future. That shouldn't scare you that much," Akito crooned. "Now come here." Yuki shook his head.
"Stay away from me. I don't like you," he cried. Akito's face colored with anger.
"How dare you speak to me like that? Stop being so ungrateful," Akito spat. Yuki cried even harder.
"No, just leave me alone!" he cried again. Akito jumped to her feet.
"YOU MAY BE THE RAT BUT YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO DISOBEY ME!" Akito screamed. From where she sat she grabbed a whip and walked over to him. "You're going to pay for that." She lashed the whip out and caught Yuki by the ankles making him scream in pain, pleading for her to stop. Akito just laughed and yanked on the whip, causing Yuki to scream harder.
"Please Akito!" he half sobbed. Akito immediately released the whip and kneeled next to him, taking his chin in her hand.
"Don't you ever treat me with such disrespect again," she said, and slapped him with her free hand. Yuki yelped quietly and tried to turn away from Akito but she only tightened her grip on his chin.
Yuki winced in discomfort and looked up to his captor. Her eyes were black and her face contorted in rage, a wicked smiled plastered across her face.
"A…kito," he asked. She said nothing but continued to stare at him with that crazy smile.
Suddenly her arms dropped to her sides and she fell to her knees, laughing. Yuki started at her in terror and tumbled away from her shaking frame. He didn't know what was going on but something was wrong with Akito. He wanted out! Akito laughed so hard that tears started to roll down her face. Never before had she terrified anyone as she had just done to Yuki. In fact, she thought that it was fun.
"You are a freak. Imagine what all the other children would think if they saw you transform," Akito crooned, when she had finally got a grip on her laughter. Yuki shrank back and pulled his knees up to his chin. He wished that she would just stop.
"Am I really that different?" Yuki asked. Akito looked at him with a face that was completely serious.
"Of course you are that different. You are a boy who changes into a rat when a girl hugs you. You're a freak," Akito gloated. A tear fell from Yuki's face. He gave a quick glance at the door before he looked back at Akito.
"Will anyone ever love me even though I am so different?" Yuki asked. The young Akito smirked.
"I wouldn't count on it if I were you. I am the only person that will ever matter to you. I am the only one who will ever love you," Akito told him. Yuki gave him a strange look. There were some things about Akito that he would never understand. Like her crazy obsession with the members of the zodiac.
"You will love me?" Yuki asked. Akito smiled her crazy smile again.
"You have to promise never to disobey me again," she whispered in his ear. Yuki cringed at the malice in her voice. At that moment the door slid open and Shigure walked in.
"Yuki,' he started, "your mother's here to pick you up."
Yuki was ready to get up and bolt for the door but Akito cut in, "actually, Yuki is going to stay for dinner."
"Bu--" he stopped when he saw the look on Akito's face. Akito smiled at Shigure. Shigure blushed slightly when he saw the pleading look on the young girl's face.
"All right. Yuki, I'll tell your mother to pick you up tomorrow morning," Shigure said, sliding the door shut. Yuki cringed at the prospect but was forced to agree.
"Yes, Shigure," he said quietly. Akito smiled at Shigure as he left and then turned to Yuki.
"Come with me Yuki, to the garden," she said. She stood up and took the boy's hands in her own, rather roughly, and pulled him through the doorway and down the hall. Yuki allowed himself to be led by Akito who was using quite a lot of force to make him comply with her requests.
"You know Akito; you don't have to hold my hand that tight. I'm not going to run away," Yuki said. Akito stopped walking so suddenly that Yuki ran into her.
"I'm not so sure that I trust you. After all, you are the rate," she said. Yuki looked confused.
"But I thought the rat was a special zodiac sign." Akito smirked.
"The rat was the one who told the cat the wrong date for the new years banquet in the story," Akito explained. "The rat is the reason why the cat isn't part of the zodiac. Just as you are the reason why Kyo Sohma isn't considered a part of this family." Tears welled up in Yuki's eyes.
"I really am the reason why he's not at new years?" Yuki asked. Akito laughed out loud.
"Yes, but that is okay. I don't like cats anyhow," she replied. With that she led Yuki out to her special garden with little white birds fluttering everywhere.
"Your garden is really beautiful at night," Yuki commented. "Just like you." Akito looked at the young boy in surprise.
"I'm beautiful?" Yuki smiled.
"Of course, you're the only one I could and ever will love." Akito smirked happily at the compliment and took a seat on the steps, pulling Yuki down with her. She finally released his hand and he rubbed his sore wrists. He was amazed by how strong Akito's grip was.
Silence fell between the two and they sat and watched birds fly about the garden. After about twenty minutes Akito suddenly gasped and fell to the ground.
"A-Akito? Akito, what's wrong?!" Yuki wailed. The head of house opened her mouth to speak but nothing came out. Violent tremors shook through her body and her eyes welled up with tears.
"Akito!" Yuki screamed once more, shaking her shoulders in the process. Her eyes widened and she let out a long scream that seemed to be filled with pain.
"Someone help!" he yelled. When no one came running Yuki panicked. He pulled Akito to his chest and rocked her back and forth.
"Akito, please say something," Yuki whispered, tears falling onto her face. Once again when she opened her mouth no words came out. Just a scream that was filled with pain.
"Y-Yuki…" she managed, but she didn't get to say anything else before her body went limp in Yuki's arms. Yuki started to cry even harder.
"Shigure! Hatori! Somebody…anybody…help me!" Yuki scream. He tried to pick Akito up but she was heavier than she looked. Finally, the sounds of running footsteps met his ears and Hatori and Shigure came into the garden. Hatori took Akito in his arms and Shigure bent down next to Yuki.
"What happened Yuki? We need to know so we can help Akito," Shigure said. After Yuki had calmed down a little he looked up at Shigure.
"We were just sitting out here watching the birds and she collapsed in tremors and pain," Yuki muttered. Shigure exchanged a glance at Hatori.
"I'm going to take her to my office and look at her," Hatori said before he left. Yuki started to cry again.
"Will she be okay?" he asked. Shigure nodded.
"Yes, this isn't the first time this had happened."