Disclaimer: I do not own Fruits Basket, I wish I did.
Chapter 6. Summons
Tohru did not like it when she had to stay home instead of going to work.
Shigure and Yuki would often go out and it seemed Kyo was always at the Do jang. She did not know what to do with herself.
She often hobbled around the house, trying to do anything useful, mostly cleaning and laundry. The weeks dragged by awfully slow, and Tohru thought she would go crazy if she were doomed to another week of this immobilized torture.
She just felt so horribly useless to the three of them, and in school as well. Someone always had to be there, to help carry her things and she felt so embarrassed to have someone else lug around her things for her. However, despite the miseries, three weeks passed by quickly, and Tohru was soon relieved of her cast and bandages.
The cut had healed long ago and the pain in her stomach had stopped, her ankle was no longer numb and she could now move her right arm around freely.
Hatori had come over whenever they had met a deadline, and he told her that she should still take things slowly. But the night her cast was removed, she was already back at work, and happy to be there.
Momiji was also delighted to have her back, and when she was cleaning an empty room, he had appeared out of nowhere and pounced on her, screaming her name until he was a Rabbit.
"TOHRU! I've missed you sooooo much here!" He wagged his puff of a tail.
"Yes! Me too! Although I see you and Hatsuharu-san in school and everything too, but seeing you here is a lot more fun. And you sure grew a bit Momiji-kun! You're as tall as me! Well you were before you were a rabbit." She trailed off.
Momiji and Hatsuharu had been absent from school the day she sprained her ankle, but the saw each other all of the other days.
"Really? Really?!" Momiji looked up at her with his big, bunny eyes. "I'm as tall as you?"
"Well I guess its not saying much but yes. And I'm sure you'll be much taller than me in no time!"
The rest of the night flew by, because she was having so much fun with Momiji and was glad to be back at work. She was also happy that she could cook again and the others did not have to order out.
After dinner, as soon as Kyo had gotten out of the bath, Shigure motioned to him and Tohru to come over to him. Kyo gave him a weird look, but still followed.
Suddenly, his mind flashed back to the night of the accident, when Shigure and Hatori had been speaking in the kitchen. "…he would like to have Tohru and Kyo come over for a visit sometime very soon."
"And why do you think that is?"
"He wants to speak to her about…"
Kyo snapped out of his thoughts as Shigure sat down and motioned to them to do the same. The serious look did not quite suit Shigure and Tohru shifted uncomfortably.
"Right to the point then." Shigure announced in a low voice. "The night of the accident, when Haa-san came over, he told me a few things, including a message passed on by Akito-san, he wants to see the two of you as soon as possible."
"A-And why is that, if I may ask?" Tohru said after a moment.
"He wants to speak to you about…" About Kyo's true form… "About something important." Was all that Shigure gave away.
A moment of dreary silence crept by.
"I see." Tohru spoke at last. "When should we go?"
"As soon as possible. But seeing that Akito-san has been tolerant enough thus far, I would suggest this Sunday, when you both have nothing to do."
"Oh, o-okay. Kyo-kun is that alright with you?" She asked.
His eyes were distant, in a place and time that only he could see and his only reply was a nod. Fear and uncertainty mixed and welled up inside Tohru's chest, creeping up her neck and down her stomach.
The last thing that she wanted was to see the one she cared for the most get hurt, and perhaps this was her chance to confront Akito about Kyo's confinement. She just prayed that if Akito had to punish someone, it would be her.
The days up until Sunday flew by faster than anything else for Kyo and Tohru.
After they had spoken with Shigure, the next thing they knew was that it was Sunday morning, and it was raining. Tohru was numb, as she got dressed for the cold, wintry day.
She knew from experience that it was not as cold inside the Sohma estate as it was outside, so she pulled on some black leggings, a tan, knee-length skirt, and a matching sweater; it was the closest outfit she had to 'formal'.
She put on her warm coat and wrapped a light pink scarf with pom-poms on the ends around her neck. As she made her way to the stairs, she could not help but hear the conversation that echoed from inside the kitchen.
"Why do we even have to go? What's so important?" Although Kyo knew the answers to both of his own questions, he asked them anyway.
"Well you know that if you don't go, Akito'll be even more upset than he already is with the two of you. And, unfortunately, you know what happens when he gets upset…" Shigure trailed off.
Tohru suddenly remembered all the stories she had been told by all of her Sohma friends, of all the horrible things Akito had done. But mostly, she remembered three stories; about what had happened to Kana, Kisa, and Rin.
She did not want anything like that to happen to Kyo or to anyone else because of her.
Fear crept along her spin and she shivered, but not from the cold.
Then she straightened up and made her way down the stairs. It seemed that Yuki was still asleep, for she only saw Kyo and Shigure. Kyo was dressed just as casually as ever, with only his long pants and a black T-shirt.
"Good morning, Shigure-san, Kyo-kun!" She tried to sound as cheerful as if it were a normal day.
"What's so great about it?" Kyo mumbled. A silence floated by but Tohru refused to let it worry her.
"Um…Kyo-kun is that all you're going to wear? I mean its raining really hard out there and there's thunder and the wind is really strong and-"
"It's fine, I'm used to this kinda weather. I trained in the mountains for four months, remember?"
'"Y-Yes! I mean, I understand." She answered.
Tohru picked up the green umbrella and made for the door; she wanted her and Kyo to leave as soon as possible so they could get back just as quick.
She held the door open for Kyo as they stepped out into the rain together. She opened the umbrella and tilted it more towards Kyo than herself, knowing that he hated this weather almost more than he hated Yuki.
"Have a safe trip you two!" Shigure called out after them.
Tohru waved back to him with her free hand, but neither of them said anything, for they both knew that it might not be as safe a trip as he had hoped.
The two walked in silence, with nothing but the rain and the occasional blast of thunder to add sounds. Tohru knew that they were getting close to the Sohma Estate because the trees were beginning to thin out, and soon, she could see all of the buildings and houses that made it all up.
Then, Kyo spoke to her for the first time that day.
"Listen, don't do anything to make Akito mad. Don't argue with him or disagree with him." Kyo warned, anger and frustration lacing is voice.
The only thing Tohru could do at this point to reassure him was nod with a small 'mmhm', for she could not find the courage to speak.
The nervousness she had felt earlier had morphed into total and utter terror now; the reason why, she knew not.
As the two slowly entered through the gates, Tohru recalled the first time she had been summoned there, by Hatori. The nervous feelings of that time were replaced with unflagging fear now. And this time, Momiji was not going to come out of nowhere and smile at her and give her confidence.
They walked very slowly now, and Tohru let Kyo lead, since he knew where to go.
The wet mud squished under their feet, and the pounding of the rain was the loudest thing in the world right now.
The shadows of the trees and buildings blocked out what little light the sun had to offer today, and that made it seem like nighttime.
Tohru followed Kyo through the small, empty courtyards, until he led her to a large building that she recognized.
It was the same one that when she had visited Hatori, she had seen her, in the window.
It was where she lived, the God of the Zodiac; Akito.
A/N: Okay yes I know Akito is a girl and I know Shigure and Kyo call her a 'he' but I am just writing based off of the manga.
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