EVER: YAY! OUR FIRST FRUITS BASKET STORY!
SHADOWS: WHOOHOO!
EVER IN THE SHADOWS: WHAT A BUM THAT WE ONLY OWN THE PLOT…
EVER IN THE SHADOWS: WE CHANGED THE NAMES A BIT OF OUR CHARACTERS BECAUSE SOME OF OUR REVIEWERS DIDN'T LIKE IT! SO NOW INSTEAD Of Dragonya AND CHANGED IT TO Kaida WHICH ALSO MEANS DRAGON. AND INSTEAD OF Akaro IT IS NOW Suoh! THIS ALSO MEANS DRAGON!
The Most Dangerous Zodiac Animal
15. 15 years. It has been 15 years of this torture…
Rain poured down the broken, ancient window. Thunder clapped its lightning onto the soaked ground.
'They're coming…' A weak, fragile, tortured voice murmured, barely moving their mouths. A curve formed on the side of their lips. A shadow loomed beyond the glass. The form of an extinct animal. Another slap of thunder sounded into a shape of another. Suddenly, two huge claps sounded as the lightning hit the two shadows, blinding yellow bright light bloomed from the eyes of the shadow. Both lights slammed harshly onto the chained prisoner, creating stress. With one more clap of thunder a golden spiral encircling and destroying everything in its way took the prisoner away, it's long blood soaked tail, the last to leave the room.
It's really coming down isn't it…17 year old Tohru Honda thought to herself. She wore yellow pajamas and her green eyes were dull from the hard day. Her hair was in some small tangles. She hugged her pink pillow closer to her chest. A movement stopped her from doing so, she felt the floorboard moving. A shadow of a young man moved slowly across her doorway. She distinctly remembered the grey hair and the glimpse of blue eyes.
But the only person with grey hair is Yuki Sohma, yet he had violet eyes… Tohru thought again.
As the grey head went passed her, her curiosity took over. She tugged the pillow closer. Threw her legs over the bed and got off.
Outside the rain was pouring down even heavier than anything before. As Tohru got to the porch Yuki was already standing on the front yard staring at the sky with the blue eyes that didn't belong to him.
'Yuki…' Tohru said, trying to get Yuki's attention only to fail, as she thought of walking into the rain Kyo came out as well, his face showed no feeling, no anger, nothing.
His eyes were also the similar glowing bright blue. Soaking wet, he stood next to Yuki.
That's odd…normally Kyo would've made a big fuss just to stand 2 metres away from Yuki…Tohru thought suspiciously.
She was going to step outside again when she noticed something, a bright lightning shook the air, not touching the ground. There seemed to be something in the middle of the lightning as it hovered in the air.
'K-K-K-Kai-' an exhausted voice before Tohru sounded.
The blue eyes turned around to the other side, Tohru can almost feel the creature inside the lightning smiling as it disappeared and the lightning faded.
Kyo and Yuki slammed into each other as they fell unconscious to the ground.
'Yuki! Kyo!' Tohru shouted as she dropped her pillow and ran to Yuki and Kyo's position.
'What happened?' a girls' voice sounded very tired as a half sleeping Kagura came out to the porch. But as she saw the third mysterious lying figure on the ground she ran to pick it up.
'Shigure!' Kagura shouted to Shigure's room.
'I know! I'm coming!' Shigure sounded very urgent as he took the third body in, Kagura carrying Kyo, and Tohru half carried, half dragged Yuki's body into the house.
E.I.T.S: OH YEAH! HOW CAN WE FORGET! KAGURA STARTED LIVING WITH TOHRU AND THE OTHERS IN ORDER TO LEARN TO CONTROL HER FISTS. OH YEAH, KYO GOT A LOT OF BRUISES VERY OFTEN AS A CONCEQUENCE.
Shigure's brown eyes shone as he examined Yuki and Kyo. His robe hung loosely over his thin body. His black hair in tangles he checked their pulse.
'Hm… Their pulse is very fast, yet very weak.'
'Suoh! Suoh! Wake up!' Kagura pleaded as the other boy was laid onto the floor. Kagura's eyes were frightful and horrified. Her pink pajamas were perfect fit and her brown hair hung loosely over her shoulder blades.
'Yuki! Yuki! Wake up! Please wake up!' Tohru shouted as 'The Prince' laid unconscious.
'Shigure…this can only mean one thing…can't it? The one thing we've all been dreading since Kyo's transformation?' Kagura asked, her head low towards Suoh.
'Yes…Kaida escaped again…' Shigure stated as he touched his chin thoughtfully.
'Kaida?' Tohru asked, clearly I still don't know a lot about the Sohmas still.
'Oh, I must call Hatori right away to check on Kyo and Yuki.' Kagura said crying lightly.
'Shigure?' Tohru asked, still not understanding what has happened still.
'I think it's best if Hatori tells you everything. It might be wise…' Shigure said as he stood up and left the room.
Tohru was speechless…she had no idea what was going on and it seems like no-one was about to tell her, oddly she felt very angry. She never felt angry after she met the Sohmas. So why is she angry now? She was always thankful for what she got.
MINUTES LATER HATORI ARRIVED RATHER URGENTLY.
'What did Kaida do now…?' Hatori said more as a statement than a question.
'Hatori? Who's Kaida?' Tohru asked, trying not to become angry.
Hatori's green eyes looked shocked, his emerald green fringe shook and his business suit seemed to tremble.
'She's…my daughter…' He stumbled slowly.
'I didn't know-' Tohru began.
'I and Kana's…daughter…' He said rather sadly, his eyes blurring as tears began to fill, 'Before we asked for Akito's decision, Kana and I signed the papers of our marriage in secret, not allowing Akito to find out, Then Kana…was pregnant with our baby. Akito suspected, yet we didn't tell the truth, and so he punched my eye, leaving it half blind. But then when…' Hatori continued, his eyes wide and he placed a hand onto his left eye, 'Kana almost gone crazy, I thought she was going to abort our child…but…she held on…' Tears poured out and Hatori's mouth curved into a slight smile, 'She said,
FLASHBACK
Tears poured down Kana's face as she held onto her tummy where her child laid quietly.
"Our child will be our only reminder of each other, I…I can't destroy her…"
"Kana…I'm sorry, it was my fault. I shouldn't have lied when I knew Akito sensed the truth."
'I love you…no matter what, even if we can't be married with Akito knowing and all, I'd like to be with you…'
'Me too…'
END FLASHBACK
And so…she kept the baby…but afterwards she thought it was a huge mistake to give birth to this child.
Because…Akito found out about the child…
E.I.T.S OH YES, PLEASE IMAGINE THAT AKITO WAS ONLY UM…3 WHEN HE HALF HURT HATORI'S EYES OKAY? I KNOW AKITO COULDN'T BE THAT SMART AT THE TIME BUT HE WAS. BY THE TIME KAIDA WAS ALMOST AS OLD AS AKITO THEN AKITO FULLY HURTED HATORI'S EYES AS SEEN IN THE ANIME AND READ IN THE MANGA.
We had already sent her away to Yuki's parents to be treated like Yuki, but it just wasn't the right decision.
Yuki's father was extremely abusive. He treated our beloved daughter and Yuki like dirt and hurt them whenever he had the chance. Kaida never knew about us. But oddly enough, Kaida looked almost completely like Yuki, but Kaida was never able to cut her hair, and so it should be very long by now.
Kana regretted what she said, and blamed everything onto herself, like our child's misfortune. We couldn't do anything to help Kaida, or Akito wouldn't allow her to live because how Yuki's father treated his children is none of our concern. There was a legend that her power of a daughter of a member of the Chinese Zodiac was destroyed, it created chaos by the size of the animal and its authority. And since Kaida's so powerful, the world could be at its end.
She was teased at because of her name, the dragon was a useless creature, taught by a dragon despised teacher, and Kaida was picked on, even by her teacher. It went so bad, that the dragon inside her body killed everyone in her class. She was expelled from the school and I tried as much as I can, but no other school would accept a child who murdered her class just by her very eyes.
Kana's heart slowly began to eat her away. She thought it was because that she gave birth to this child that all this murder was charged on us. She became weak and helpless.
That's when I thought about erasing her memory. I myself was very unhappy about how things went. Kana told me she wanted to hold on, but her eyes told a different story. The eyes cried helplessly whenever they were seen. And soon, she thought she should be released, but she never told me. Until that day when Akito…' Hatori said, remembering the way Akito sounded like he knew it all along.
FLASHBACK
"It's times like these that your powers come in useful aren't they?" Akito said as my eyes were bandaged heavily from the vase's glass.
Akito slowly lifted my tie, and spoke only in whispers in my ear.
"The truth is she wants to be released…"
Bit of her pain flashed through my brain like pictures of the past.
"The truth is she doesn't want to sacrifice her life to our curse…"
"It would've been better…if-if we've never met!" Kana had once said.
"The truth is she doesn't want to live with this burden anymore."
"This child will be the symbol of our love. I won't destroy her…" Kana smiled with her sweet, sweet face.
"You shouldn't make her live under such pain…Hatori…" Akito said, I can feel the smirk forming across his face.
"It hurts Hatori…it hurts!" Kana had lost it once before…
"For your child, Hatori…go by your child's will…"
END FLASHBACK
NEW FLASHBACK
"Dr. Hatori…was I born to be damned…? To be destroyed once the burden is too much for me to handle?" Kaida said, eyes down on the floor, her blood soaked clothes clinging to her delicate, pale skin. Tears mixed with blood as they ran away from the abused body.
"Kaida…" I said, taking her in my arms, "If you had a mother, and she has been hidden away from your eyes…chained beyond her intended barrier, would you hope for her to be released?"
"He he…a mother! I killed my mother! I HAVE NO MOTHER! IF SHE DIDN'T GIVE BIRTH TO ME, SHE WOULD'VE LIVED! (pants) Tell, me…Doctor Hatori…why is it that I can't have a life beyond this barrier? Why am I chained to such cruelty? Does every member of the Zodiac must endure such pain? I like to be patriotic to my father, but, I feel like there already is so much blood upon my hands that killing one more wouldn't make that much of a difference."
"Just suppose…" I said, ignoring her pain.
"I would release her, the fourteen members of the Zodiac are enough, we needn't add one more…"
"Thank you…"
"It isn't like I'd know what a real father and mother are like anyway…" She smiled something fragile and silently asked me to release her.
I did so, just then Yuki came out of the room, his head bleeding in several places, blood stained every part of his clothes that it was impossible to tell what colour it was before.
Yuki took Kaida's hand, like a real brother would, and led her out into the rain, where the blood slowly washed off their clothes, but I can feel the stings on their body.
"I know how you feel, just not as much…" I said slowly, walking slowly closer to them.
They turned around.
"Your father, is my brother…"
END FLASHBACK
What Kaida's thinking right now.
Kaida's POV
All my life, I've wanted to be at the Land Of No Return, the land of death, no more suffering. No more abuse. I've wished that soon I'll be released from carrying the burden of the Hatred in every Sohma, now plus an extra Tohru Honda. And be able to live my life, just on my own.
Not a temporary life where a brother would leave their sister so that their own problems could be solved, not where I am isolated on the top of a deserted mountain. Not where, I am stabbed over and over by an unforgiving father and yet, not enjoy the freedom of the Land Of No Return. Not where, my brain takes on pain after pain after pain, not where the safest place on this earth is anywhere but Home.
My life has been ruined before it even started. I have the talent to control the beast inside me from coming out when I am hugged by a member of the opposite sex, but in return I am faced with everyone's suffering.
Is a life where I can be merely alive too much to ask for as a member of the Zodiac? Can I not experience being embraced by the very someone that brought you to life? I've never even met her, but I can tell, that the moment I do, may as well be and hopefully be, the moment I die.
END
'It must've been very painful for her…' Tohru silently said.
'Yes, my sister…'a sudden voice spoke up.
'Yuki! Oh! You're awake!' Tohru cried, overjoyed.
'Kyo! You too!' Kagura cried as well, before pulling him into a bone-crushing hug, 'You made me worry so much!'
'Ayame was sent away to a far away boarding school, and so he doesn't know about Kaida…' Yuki explained, 'it wasn't until recently I knew that Kaida wasn't my real sister, the fact that we looked so alike was probably why I never noticed.' Yuki placed a hand to his forehead, 'I never meant to let anybody know about us, you see that would make me bad and nobody would accept me ever again. Not long after Kaida was expelled from her school she mysteriously disappeared I didn't know where she went. But Hatori did…' Yuki glared at Hatori with dull, mad eyes, 'You're the one that obeyed Akito's demand and sent Kaida to the top of the mountain didn't you?' Yuki gave Hatori one of his death glares.
'I couldn't've done anything. But you see Tohru, whenever it is the full moon, many people says it's "romantic" but the reason why the moon suddenly turns so bright is because of Kaida's energy, the Eclipse lifts some of the burden away from the energy that is given to the moon from her. But it is very painful when the moon takes away your energy, it's like you're being compressed into a smaller space. And it isn't only Kaida who has to live her life up their, Suoh here,' Hatori looked at the other thin, unfed body, dark green hair like Hatori's, and clothes that were many sizes must too big for him, 'He has to live his life to take care of Kaida. Until she is killed, like Akito will soon be as well. It must've been tonight's thunder that brought Kaida the courage to escape with her fellow teammates.'
'You mean, there are such creatures as dragons?' Tohru asked, eyes wide.
'Of course, the animal must exist for a member of the Zodiac to be part of. But because many dragons have died and there are not nearly enough, some of the Dragons that suddenly come are dead, decomposing dragons. Of course, it isn't very healthy if you breathe it in, but because when Kaida reaches the age of 17 Akito was planning to kill her, Kaida doesn't really care if she's unhealthy.' Hatori explained.
Tohru turned to look at the boy when all she saw was a pile of ash.
'Um…Hatori…?' Tohru asked.
'Suoh is one of the decomposing dragons. It was because he was too close to Kaida, and too long. Her power is too mighty for her body to handle, so, through time, Suoh's body sometimes took the shape of a dragon, but because it was so weak, it became one of the decomposing ones. Yuki, Kyo, I think it's best for you both to get some sleep, the way Kaida tried to force her dragon inside of you is too much for members of the Zodiac to take in.'
'K…' the both said.
'Kagura, lets go…' Kyo said, as he reached out and took Kagura's hand himself and pulled her upstairs.
Kagura smiled warmly, it was the second time he reached out his sensitive hands in search of another.
'Don't forget to give him these pain relief tablets every time he feels the pain.' Hatori instructed Kagura as he threw Kagura the packet of tablets.
'How sweet…' Yuki said sarcastically, but before anything Yuki felt suddenly extremely light headed and he was starting to loose himself. He became red with fury, eyes shining with flame. But with the help of Hatori's other tablets, he was fine again, but he kept coughing.
'Kaida shouldn't've done that…considering your body is so weak.' Hatori said as Tohru tried to lift Yuki up to his room.
The truth is…I really want to meet Kaida in real life…I think I should thank her for taking in all the burden of hatred in all of us… Tohru thought, but wasn't so sure if it was a good idea.
Tohru couldn't exactly sleep that night as she thought about how she had the chance to meet Kaida.
NEXT MORNING
'Ah…good morning Miss Honda… you sure are up early aren't you?' Yuki asked as he walked into the kitchen seeing Tohru making breakfast.
'Oh Yuki!' Tohru squealed in surprise, 'I wasn't expecting you to wake up so early today!'
'Oh, well it is kind of strange but…normally I can wake up earlier if I sleep earlier. But normally I don't because of homework and other things. But since I had so much time to sleep last night I'm fine now.' Yuki yawned a little.
'Oh that's a good thing!' Tohru said with a big smile.
'Oh, which reminds me, where did that stupid cat go?' Yuki said looking around.
OK, LETS ALL FORGET BREAKFAST AND SKIP TO THE SCHOOL PART OK!
'Yuki! Kyo! Did you hear! Kaida's gone missing!' Momiji exclaimed.
'Yeah, I know…get over it. It's not like she actually did anything bad.' Kyo sounded annoyed as he rubbed his eyes a little.
'Hello!' Kagura appeared from behind Kyo.
'What? What the hell are you doin' here?' Kyo shouted angrily.
'Kyo, Kyo, Kyo, have you've forgotten that I've changed schools just to be with you!' Kagura cried out, hugging Kyo and almost breaking his bones.
'Well actually Kyo, she came to us for a visit last night, with her fellow friends too of course. They rumbled the main house so much Akito almost fully lost his temper!' Momiji cried to emphasize his point.
Yuki received a shiver down his back when he heard that, when Akito visited him, he didn't really fully lost his temper, but when he does, the result is probably death. He can still remember the whips coming down harder every time.
'She broke 15 windows with one roar and she was about to kill Akito, but that was until one of her decomposing dragon friends stopped her.' Momiji sounded happy by that.
'That isn't exactly funny you know Momiji. Anyway, Akito didn't seem so angry about Kaida's escape. I bet he's got something else up his sleeve.' Hatsuharu said, holding Momiji's head, 'He seemed quite happy with himself actually. I wonder is it because he missed seeing the other that has the same fate as him. It isn't odd, Akito and Kaida do have a few things in common. But if you go by suffering, I reckon it's Kaida that I feel sorrier about. And she's only 15. At least Akito's 20 now. Kaida only has 2 years left, while Akito still has like, 5.'
'Yeah…come to think of it…Kana said she still hasn't decided if she wanted to marry her boyfriend yet.' Momiji said.
'Hasn't she got married yet? But Ayame even gave the wedding photos to Hatori, he just didn't accept them.' Tohru argued.
'No…actually the photos were real, but just that Kana isn't exactly married, there was this problem with an actress that looked exactly like Kana, and so Kana had to fill in for her for the wedding scene.' Momiji explained.
'I wonder what she works as…' Tohru asked mainly to herself.
'Well, she's a doctor now and-' Momiji began, but was cut off by the shattering of glass, '-she works at the place next door to the school.'
They all rushed over to the house next door to find the top window smashed and a large scale floated down the building and landed in Yuki's hand.
'Kaida…'
AT THE DRAGON LAIR
'Where-where am I…?' Kana asked, confused by the blurred image in front of her.
'Mother…' a voice in her head sounded so real that she reached out to touch a cold, stone figure that moved towards her request.
Then a loud breath was let out as Kana slowly embraced the delicate figure. She felt something hard, scaly, yet lonely. She felt the motherly love coming to her. She felt responsible to be with this child.
'Mother…' the child said again, and a large teardrop fell slowly down onto Kana's white dress, but she felt like she wanted it to be there. She felt like there is something that she was missing all her life, but now, it has been replaced. Someone to love, that'll always be by your side.
But somehow, she sensed that somehow, every moment she has now with this child, is vital, because it maybe forever, before they meet again. Mother and Daughter, of the silent night, in the peacefulness of the forgotten.
'Kana…now you can forget about everything. You won't have to be worried over me again. You can go on living life, with the privilege that we didn't get…' that voice, so…distant…yet so close.
I've never thought, that with my own bare hands that the person most important to me, may also have their memories erased. But now…I have nothing left to be hurt with. Because with her…my heart froze in time and space, so that I can always remember the short time in my life that we enjoyed so much, just being with each other…I will now enter my fate and accept it. I will be the snow that will never again enjoy the fresh, beauty and life…of the spring that she…has once given to me so freely…and so carelessly…
The voice…the one that only ever spoke of facts, had melted and spoken the words that had brought her happiness, and that she has helped him realize, that there is such a thing…as life inside the stone…
It is on the tip of her tongue, the voice…that has always took her in his arms…and brought her the happiness in which no-one has ever given her…
Tears, she can see the person, a man, with black hair…emerald green eyes…those eyes…
With a sudden breath, it seemed like all her memories fell back onto her, but now that she has matured she handles it differently. She took them for the fact, and not for the unrealistic things that she had felt before. And with that settled, Kana saw clearly again.
Lying on Kana's lap was a beautiful angel. Dark, Blue, mythical river long hair was flowing from the head of a princess. White, milk soft skin perched on her face, and closed, teary eyes laid on her lap. A rough broken down dress was worn by this angel.
Kana's eyes stung again, as she felt the heaven sent angel turning and seeming to enjoy the happiness of being with her one and only daughter. She slowly reached down and touched the mythical river hair. It was so silky smooth that Kana's hands just seemed to slide past it.
Then Kana took a look around her for the first time. But what she saw was not the one thing that she had expected. Skeletons were hung on flesh and their eyes were in a glow of bright and angry red… The teeth still had the marks of blood stained also dripping ever so lightly.
Kana can feel a scream coming from her vocal chords, but unfortunately someone else also seemed to be in the state of fright as well, because they have beaten her to her scream…
EVER: OK! SOO WHO COULD THAT BE? COULD IT BE SOMEONE ELSE THAT HAD JUST FOUND THE DRAGON LAIR OR IS IT SOMETHING ELSE?
SHADOWS: WE'RE SORRY IF THIS CHAPTER WAS TOO LONG BUT WE CAN'T HELP IT!
EVER IN THE SHADOWS: NOW IT'S YOUR TURN TO DO YOUR JOB AND GO ON! PLEASE HURRY AND REVIEW! FLAMES ARE ALWAYS WELCOME!