For the readers of my other fics, I'm sorry I haven't updated my stories, but I promise you that I'm working on fixing that.
Plot: A young journalist is assigned to investigate the mysterious Sohma family , a decade after Honda Tohru's acceptance into the Juunishi circle. What will this journalist find ? What has happened to Tohru and the rest of the Juunishi during this time ? Has the curse been broken ? Read and find out.
"The Sohma Scope"
* * *
The small figure retreated deeper into the shadows. Curiously, it regarded the sandstone wall in front of it, which was separating/hiding the Honke from the rest of the world. It wondered what secrets it would uncover of the illustrious Sohma clan, powerful figures in society, yet shrouded in mystery.
The gentle rustle of bushes did not alert the figure to the danger of exposure, until a hand shot out and grabbed it by the scruff of the neck.
* * *
"I would recommend you not to struggle if you wish to remain unharmed." Sohma Yuki warned the intruder. Turning the person around, he was shocked to see that it was a 'she'.
The woman's brown eyes widened drastically as she saw who her capturer was. 'Could there be a being fairer ?' She dazedly mused, as she looked into his 'Would this beauty be a man or woman ?' hypnotizing deep violet eyes, partially hidden by liquid silver tresses.
"What are you doing here ? This is private property."
She could barely gather her thoughts to respond to his cold interrogation.
"S-sumimasen, sumimasen…"She halted, unsure of how to address the ethereal creature in front of her.
"Sohma Yuki." The nezumi supplied, his expression still less than welcoming
"Sumimasen, Sohma-sama. My name is Waise Tohru, and I'm a freelance journalist ( no use telling him that she was employed by the Tokyo Times, it would just incense him). I was just looking for the door." Waise said bravely.
Yuki's eyebrows rose. "Really ? For what purpose, Waise-san ?"
The petite brunette blushed lightly as she saw the disbelieving expression on the man's face.
"I was hoping that the Sohma clan would consent to a small interview and article." She replied with a low bow.
"Article ?" Yuki echoed delicately, 'An article ? Now ?' In his mind, a painful memory of yellow ribbons and an infectious smile resurfaced.
Yuki's voice answered like as if from far away, "I'd be delighted, Waise-san."
She was shocked. The Sohma clan had never allowed any type of media into their home, let alone their lives. 'Guess I'm the jackpot winner !' She thought excitedly.
* * *
Waise timidly entered the massive Honke complex, Yuki quietly guiding her across the numerous stone-paved paths.
"That is the servants' quarters, the building with the black shutters." The slender Sohma pointed out.
She followed his inclination and saw a large, traditional Japanese building, not only with black shutters, but black drapes, and décor as well. Come to think of it, Waise noticed that the whole Honke complex sported some type of black décor. She was about to enquire about it for her notes, when he answered the unasked question in a low, and to Waise's ears, slightly sorrowful tone.
"I'm sorry, Waise-san, that you will not see the Honke in a more cheerful atmosphere, but you have chosen a most unfortunate time to conduct your interview."
"Oh?"
Yuki smiled sadly.
"This is the one year anniversary of the passing of someone very dear to the Sohma clan." He said, the sorrow quite distinctively pronounced now.
Waise felt slightly guilty, 'I am a journalist, for kami's sake ! I shouldn't be so soft,' for intruding on what must still be a painful subject. Somehow she felt like she could understand his pain. It was strange, but Waise felt like there was a connection between them.
"Yuki-kun !" A male voice hailed the two.
"Momji-kun." Yuki nodded in greeting towards a blonde young man with amazing honey-brown eyes, and an energetic aura around him. The young man, slightly taller than Yuki, positively bounced towards them.
"Have you seen Kyo-kun ?" The handsome blonde called out.
As 'Momji-kun' reached the pair, Yuki gave the introductions.
"Momji –kun, this is Waise Tohru. Waise-san, this is my cousin, Momji. " Momji enthusiastically shook the woman's hand, and then turned back to Yuki.
"So, have you seen Kyo-kun ?" He repeated his question. Yuki gave a surreptitious glance towards the journalist beside him, and answered in a low voice, " He must still be at the shrine." Momji nodded and then took his leave.
* * *
"You have a very handsome relative…strange, with the blonde hair, though," Waise remarked, as she watched Momji bounce away, " So, are they all like that ?"
Yuki could see that she was interested in the usagi. He ignored the question, and instead focused on Momji.
"He's half German, Waise-san."
"His parents live here ?" She slotted the question in. Yuki shook his head sadly.
"Iie, they died when he was very young. He's lived at the Honke for most of his life."
"Age ?"
"25."
"What is his profession ? He seems a very energetic man."
Yuki smiled at the observation.
"He graduated as a psychologist from Tokyo University just at the beginning of this year."
Waise looked perplexed. "A psychologist ? What motivated him into that ?"
Instantly, the bearing of the man beside her became forbidding. "You ask too much, Waise-san." He said coldly, and led her along the walkway to a beautiful reception area.
"This is the entertaining lounge for guests, " He said curtly, his face impassive, " please wait here." And walked through the sliding door at the side of the room, disappearing from view.
Waise gulped. She had upset him, she knew. She so badly wanted to apologize, and already felt tears threatening at the corners of her eyes. Distraction came in the form of a man dressed in black leather with too many straps to count, a white sleeveless coat and black and white hair.
"Are you alright ?" He sat down next to her, " you're the journalist, right ?"
"Huh ?" Waise exclaimed, forgetting her tears, " how did you know…?"
The man smiled, and Waise saw just how handsome he was. 'Are all the Sohma men endowed with such beauty ? Normal men would turn beyond green with envy.' He had gentle gray eyes and porcelain skin with delicate facial features.
"You ran into my cousin, Momji, and he ran into me." His voice was soothing, a fine baritone, " I'm Sohma Hatsuharu, by the way."
"Sohma Hatsuharu, the songwriter ?" Waise's eyes became huge as she eyed the infamous, and yet incredibly mysterious, songwriter, who's melancholic, wild and romantic music had enchanted Japan for the last five years. ( Note how different the music style are: melancholic, wild and romantic- they're supposed to represent Haru's alter-ego, B-Haru. I thought a songwriter would fit him because it would allow him to express himself, and also catered for his Black side.)
"Hai." Haru replied passively.
"Masaka !!!!" The brunette exclaimed, " I'm such a huge fan of your work ! I adore your latest songs, especially Light in My Life and We will Remember , they're such moving works ! What was the inspiration for them-" She abruptly stopped, as she remembered Yuki's angered face, but Haru didn't seem to be perturbed by the question. On the contrary, his face adopted a gentle, wistful smile.
"They're both based on something in my life, yes. Light in My Life is for someone I love beyond everything else. Just for this person do I live, just to see their smile and be close to them. This person has helped me through a very rough patch in life. We will Remember is also a dedication, but it is for someone who is no longer with the Sohma family. 'It must be the same person that died today.' This person has brought so much to us, given us so much joy and changed so many lives; we will always remember." Haru nodded towards Waise and stood up.
"If you will excuse me, I have to get going. Sayonara, Waise-san."
"Good luck with your future works, Sohma-sama !" Waise called back, still taking notes from his speech.
* * *
She'd been sitting in the guest lounge for a few minutes after Haru's departure, when she became aware of a soft, temple bell-like noise emanating from the entry door. Waise briefly debated Yuki's instruction to 'wait here', and concluded that she was here to do a job – to uncover the secrets of the Sohma clan. Light-footedly, she padded towards the source of the gong sound – a very small building, which strongly resembled a shrine. All the windows were closed, but she could smell the pungent scent of incense. Curiously she walked up to the slightly ajar doors, and peeked inside.
The interior of the building was dim, some feeble lighting supplied by the suspended oil laps and candles. Most of the single room was occupied by a raised cabinet, holding various offerings of fruit, sweets and savory dishes, as well as a large incense holder, red tapers and something which resembled two yellow ribbons. Waise gasped. The center of the cabinet displayed a picture of an innocent-looking young woman, with light chestnut hair, a gentle smile and brown eyes – she uncannily resembled her !
A small movement alerted Waise to a presence within the shrine. A figure, shrouded in a dark cloak, kneeling on the floor and hidden in shadows, gestured towards her.
"Come in." The figure beckoned her in a soft, hoarse voice. Waise hesitated, frightened, but then another voice spoke up – a familiar, low voice.
"Go on," Yuki said," He won't hurt you."
Shaking slightly, she slid open the paper door and walked into the dim, stuffy room with Yuki following and closing the door behind her.
"Yuki-kun." The shadowed entity sounded mildly surprised. With a light rustle, it stood up, and revealed itself to be a dangerously handsome man, with fiery red hair, dark inscrutable eyes and a finely-chiseled, almost aggressively angular face. He was at least a hand taller than Yuki, but his build seemed to be just as slender. He seemed uncannily familiar to Waise.
"Kyo-kun." Yuki softly greeted his cousin, the eyes fixed on the neko, miserable and yearning, "how are you ?"
Kyo smiled widely, and Waise noticed that his eyes were slightly bulging and unfocused.
"Fine, fine," He slurred," I have been – " He shot a look at the picture of the woman and abruptly stopped. His face changed from grinning to sadness.
"She really is gone, ne?" Kyo said in a completely different tone, his eyes glued to the picture, "She really did leave us, ne, Yuki-kun ?"
"Kyo-kun…" Yuki started forward, like as if to comfort the taller man, but Kyo turned his back on them.
"Leave me be, kuzo nezumi !"The neko whispered brokenly, tightly hugging himself and rocking on his heels, " I don't need you, or anyone !"
* * *
Yuki couldn't hide the pain that those words inflicted upon him. It hurt so badly that Kyo would not accept his help. They were all hurting together; they needed eachother, but Kyo just kept on pushing him away, sinking further and further into the trap in his own mind.
Kyo had forgiven him - or better, the vengeful spirit of the cat had finally forgiven his millennial nemesis, the mouse. The curse had been broken, they could lead normal lives now. No one would ever again transform when hugged by the opposite sex; Kyo would never have to endure another transformation into the beast – yet he still withdrew from the nezumi, and then it happened…
* * *
Waise gently shut the paper door behind her, looking at Yuki in concern. The man seemed to be absorbed in his own thoughts, so it startled her when he spoke again.
"It drove him mad." Yuki said softly, the misery etched even deeper in his lovely face, " her death…"
Waise gave him a curious glance. '…her ?'
"Today, " Yuki continued, " is the one year anniversary of Honda Tohru's death, the light of the Sohma clan's lives, and Kyo's fiancé."
"Oh…I'm sorry, Sohma-san…" She uttered softly, feeling slightly depressed herself, from his melancholic mood. "He must have loved her deeply."
Yuki chuckled sadly, and what seemed to her, slightly bitterly, " Yes, he loved her deeply – beyond all else, she was his light, and he still loves her in death."
"What happened ?" Waise asked timidly, afraid to renew his anger with her.
"It is quite ironic, " Yuki smiled cynically, " that Tohru-chan would die the one day that we didn't come to pick her up from work. I had a late class at the university and Kyo was training one of his students for the national championships, and Tohru-chan said she'd be alright walking home alone." The cynical smile had vanished; Yuki looked at her desperately, like as if wanting to explain himself, " We didn't know. If we had… Tohru-chan would be safe. She would have never been k-kidnapped a-and r-r-raped, and b-b-beaten t-to d-d-death."
He shook violently as he recalled the fateful day when the police came and informed him, Kyo and Shigure of Tohru's violent death. Kyo hadn't believed the officers; he'd demanded they stop joking… until they showed him a gruesome photograph of the murder scene. Yuki could still see Kyo's face now, his eyes as they broke.
* * *
She was afraid to ask any more questions; what she had discovered disturbed her deeply. Waise had always imagined the lives of the Sohma clan to be glamorous, perfect and unmarred by the everyday dramas of humanity, but she was wrong. They hurt, loved, despaired and desired just like everyone else. They were not untouched by grief: Kyo grieves still, over his beloved; Yuki, his cousin, loved him, she could see- a sad, unrequited love.
* * *
They walked in silence; Waise knew that Yuki was bringing her to the door. They passed an unmarked stone tablet. She stopped. It looked like a -
"Tombstone." Yuki pointed at the clean white slab.
"A grave ?"Waise said apprehensively. Yuki's eyes were like miniature ice shards as they regarded it.
"Hai." He replied tightly, " They grave of one of the Sohma clan heads. He is not worthy of remembrance."
She asked no more. Yuki's forbidding expression dissuaded her quite well. Suddenly the door to their right opened. A handsome, middle-aged man stepped out into the landing; he had black hair and blue eyes, one, which was covered by some of his hair, and a stoic expression on his face.
"What are you doing here ?" He greeted them in a monotonous voice, straightening his long white coat at the same time.
"Konnichi wa Hatori-san." Yuki greeted the Sohma doctor, and introduced him to Waise.
Hatori's eyes bulged.
"…y-y-you !" He seemed beyond shock, staring at Waise, "What are you doing here ?!!"
She looked at him, perplexed – and slightly frightened. The man looked like he was about to faint ( ^o^ )
"Hatori-san ?" The nezumi worriedly stepped closer to his cousin; Hatori had strangely been prone to breakdowns in the last year, and more than once did Shigure or Ayame have to physically restrain him from hurting himself. It was daunting, watching one of the strongest and most resilient Sohma men collapse during what was a peaceful time.
Hatori's wild, haunted eyes stared back at Waise. He shuddered and looked away, visibly trembling.
"It's nothing, Yuki-kun." His hoarse voice whispered, " I just feel tired. Must have overworked myself." Hatori laughed bitterly, nodded towards the silver-haired man and stumbled back inside. Yuki anxiously made to follow him, but then remembered his company.
"If you will excuse me, Waise-san, a servant will show you out." He handed her a business card, " Please contact me in relations to the article and interview at this number."
Waise bowed. "Of course, Sohma-san," and walked away, out of the Sohmas' lives, taking with her a glimpse of their secret, but she was proud to keep it – never had she met a family more human than this.
* * *
Inside his room, Sohma Hatori sadly stared after the retreating back of the woman exiting the Honke.
'I'm sorry, I'm so so sorry !'
Her light brown hair gently swayed in the wind, following the dance of the two yellow ribbons in her hair – they were her favorite.
* * *
~*~OWARI~*~
And that is how it ends; completely disjointed, barely making any sense, but there you have it. This is one of my hare-brained, blitz ideas.
In case you didn't get it (I can't blame you if you didn't) yes, that girl was Honda Tohru. No, she is not dead. Hatori erased her memory of the Sohma family and implanted some fake ones. He also erased some of the memories of Tohru in the minds of the Juunishi, to make it seem like she died. Of course, this was all done on Akito's orders.
Why and how could Hatori do this ? Well, let your imagination work on that one. My one says that Akito threatened Kana (Hatori's beloved), and to protect her, he surrendered.
As to Yuki - yes, like Waise said, he was in love with Kyo: shounen-ai, yup. It is an unrequited love ( as stated in the story).
To the curse now; I'm not familiar with the curse, so I went along with what I knew (from reading stories and info on the web). This evolved into the idea that the curse was actually set by the cat, when it itself was cursed into its monster form. So until the cat spirit forgave the mouse spirit, the Sohmas' curse would remain unbroken.
And as for the name Waise, people who know German would be familiar with the term 'waisenkind', am I right ? It translates to mean orphan, or parentless child. Honda Tohru was an orphan, so I thought that would kinda fit.
If there's anything else which you want me to clear up, feel free to tell me so in your reviews. I accept flames in this one. ( please be gentle ! ~.~)
~*~//chibichibi-neko\\~*~
Japanese Translations
Shounen-ai: love between men
Owari: end
-san: formal address to people you don't know well.
-kun: address for boys or men usually, when they are friends, etc.
-chan: like kun, except for girls
-sama: someone older, with greater authority, someone of great respect
nezumi: rat, mouse
kuzo nezumi: damned rat , f****** rat
neko: cat
konnichi wa: hello, good morning, good day
sayonara: goobye
masaka: unbelievable ! I can't believe it ! Impossible !
ne: like saying "eh"
hai: yes
iie: no
kami: god
Haru: spring
Yuki: snow