Title: Akito's Safari

Summary: (One-shot) A trip inside Akito's mind….

Rating: PG

Warnings: Slight manga spoilers (Volume 11). Ye have been warned.

Disclaimer: Fruits Basket is owned by Natsuki Takaya-sensei, not I.

Notes: At the very end, the names are in the order of how they appear on the manga covers. You'll see when you get there.

Dedication: Lots of laughs to ttSerenity, my favorite critic, who gave me the original idea. This is my belated birthday present to you.

XxXxX

Birds are free. Birds can fly away from the world when they are upset or scared. They soar above us, spiraling, dipping, in the sky, unbound by the limitations of mankind. Birds are beautiful, in song and color.

I am not a bird.

How is it that a bird, a tiny feathered being with next to no brain, can do what I, God, cannot? I am God. But I cannot fly. I am not beautiful, people do not love me.

However, I am not a fool. I know what people say, oh yes, I know they whisper all sorts of horrible things behind my back. And sometimes I punish them for it, but not often. That just shows how nice I am, and how inconsiderate they are. They should love me. They cannot live without me. And how am I rewarded? I am despised.

There is something about birds that annoys me to no end. Perhaps the simple-minded ignorance. Perhaps the fact that even if I cage them, bind them to the ground, they still soar away from troubles. They just don't care. A creature so free, that even behind bars, it can fly.

I hate that.

Such a dumb creature will submit to me, but will not forfeit freedom. If I am angry, they will flee. I cannot change that.

But I can't accept it either.

Birds live such short lives, lives with no purpose it seems. I have seen many fall from the sky, fall from their freedom, feathers crumpled, eyes lifeless and dull. Death can capture them, why can't I?

I used to collect feathers from dead birds, as proof that there is no total freedom. Proof that it all ends eventually. I had to get rid of them; Hatori insisted it was "unsanitary".

I remember one certain bird very clearly. A nightingale, I believe, that was constantly singing. It was singing of hope and other foolish nonsense.

I killed it.

I'll admit, killing the thing still didn't satisfy me. I could not keep the freedom, the soul of the bird. Death won. Death always wins in such situations.

They're rather boring creature, birds. Simple creatures. They live, they fly, have children, and die. Absolutely pointless lives. It's always the same. Always.

And yet, I cannot get such a simple creature to obey me! It is infuriating. I cannot change them anymore than I can tell the sky when to rain. I hate it…I hate it!

Yuki, Kyo, Shigure, Kagura, Momiji, Hatori, Hatsuharu, Ayame, Kisa, Hiro, Ritsu, Rin, Kureno…. Do not think you can ever have the freedom of a bird. Do not be so foolish. I may not be able to control a bird's will, but I can certainly control yours. You cannot run from me. You cannot fly away from fate.

You cannot escape.