So this isn't the last chapter. I figured you'd want to know what happened after Yuki transformed. So here it is. And yet its ending still demands another chapter. Sigh… All authors have evil in them, I'm sure XD
Chapter 7
Aina continued searching for Yuki, but he'd disappeared. He was just there a few seconds ago. It was like he'd vanished into thin air. All that was left was the rat…
And his clothes were on the floor?
Aina was completely lost, but that didn't matter once she realized that she was alone with Akito. Yuki wasn't there to save her anymore.
"Why did you do that, you IDIOT?" Akito bellowed.
"You could have killed her!" answered a voice. It was Yuki's, undoubtedly. But he wasn't there… Where was it coming from?
"The woman needed to be taught a lesson," Akito snarled, "You were encouraging her, and now look what you've done!"
"It doesn't matter!" said Yuki's voice, "If I hadn't done anything, then—"
Akito cut him off and started screaming.
"It wasn't worth it, Akito!" Yuki said, just loud enough to be heard over Akito.
Finally, Aina caught on.
It was the rat talking…
"Yuki?" Aina gasped. Before she could say anything more, Akito gave her a blow to the head.
Then… Nothing.
Yuki dragged Aina out the door and laid her outside. He'd transformed back fairly quickly, and Akito had knocked Aina unconscious. This was the last thing Yuki wanted… Not only had Aina discovered his secret; now Akito had reason to hurt her. And, actually… He already did.
Akito had thrown her so hard, and her head would have been knocked against the wall… The impact could have been fatal. Yuki didn't regret stopping that in the least.
But what he did regret was… Everything.
It was his fault that Aina was involved in this at all. If he hadn't acted so pathetic in front of her, then maybe she wouldn't have gotten so worried. Maybe she wouldn't have tried to help him. And maybe she wouldn't be in this situation.
"You'd better hope that when she wakes up, she'll think it was all a dream," Akito hissed.
Yuki nodded. He did hope that would be what she'd think. For his sake… And for hers.
Aina found herself sitting outside, leaning against the building, next to the front door. Her head was a bit foggy… She remembered she'd sat out here for a few minutes today.
Right before she lost her mind and started running to find Yuki… What happened after that?
She found Yuki… But she remembered also seeing Akito…
Akito!
Aina gasped and her head shot up. It had all come back to her. Akito was after her now… And Yuki… The moment he saved her life…
"Aina?"
Aina shrieked, for she was shocked to see Yuki there. He was normal again…
"Y-Yuki!" Aina sputtered, standing up, "You—you're-! What in the world happened back there?"
"What?" Yuki asked.
"Akito, he just-!"
"Akito?" asked Yuki, "Aina, what are you talking about?"
"But you were there! You were telling me to run and when I didn't, he threw me, and-!"
"Are you feeling alright?" Yuki asked.
"Me?" Aina asked, "Of course I am! You saved me! You're the one you should be worrying about!"
"Just calm down," said Yuki, getting her to sit down again, "I was inside just now, and you've been out here. I don't know what you're remembering… Did you fall asleep? Are you sure you haven't just been dreaming?"
Aina hesitated. "Well… I guess I could have been. But I remember, Akito knocked me out, and I've just been unconscious for the past—"
"Why were you saying I'm the one I should be worrying about?" Yuki asked, cutting her off.
Aina suddenly realized how ridiculous it was. "You turned into a rat…" she said, a bit ashamed of herself for getting so worked up over a dream.
"Then I think it's safe to say that you were dreaming," said Yuki.
"Yeah," said Aina, finally relaxing, "It just seemed so real. I remember everything… I was out here, and then I ran inside and met Akito. I don't remember any gaps in between. Getting knocked out especially made me think it really happened. I guess that was just the jolt that woke me up."
"You're sure you're alright?" Yuki asked.
"I'm fine," said Aina, "Still a little jittery, but I'll be okay."
"Good," said Yuki, "It's getting late. Shouldn't you be leaving soon?"
"I should be… It's almost 5." Aina reached into her pocket for her cell phone. "I'd better call my mom and see what's keeping her."
But once Aina looked at her phone, she found that she wasn't going to be able to call her mother. The phone wouldn't work…
It had a crack through it.
It really happened… All that really happened…!
Aina stared in shock at Yuki. She didn't know what to do… What to say… She didn't even know what to think.
Was she going insane?
As if to save Aina from confronting Yuki, the horn of her mother's car started honking.
"I…" Aina faltered, "…I have to go."
"Aina—"
"I have to go!"
Aina quickly stumbled into the car, almost as though her life depended on it. She avoided Yuki's gaze as her mother drove off.
Aina ran up to her room and slammed the door. She threw the window open and flung her head out, gasping for air. She could barely breathe; she was so panicked. It felt as though the walls were closing in on her.
Aina was slipping into madness, she was sure… For some reason, she'd been hallucinating. That was the only explanation. It must have been caused by the overwhelming fear she felt when Akito had attacked her.
But then, why did Yuki say that none of it happened?
Did it really happen, then? But how? None of it made sense… Was this why Yuki had been so secretive all along?
There came a knock at the door, but Aina didn't bother answering. She was losing her mind. Not the best time to talk to one of her parents.
"Aina?" said the voice behind the door, "It's me…"
Aina's eyes bulged. That wasn't her father… This was another surprise appearance from Yuki.
He'd actually followed her?
Aina opened the door and immediately grabbed his arm.
"In. Now," Aina ordered. She pulled Yuki into her room and shut the door.
The two sat in silence for a moment. Now that Yuki was here again, Aina's panic had completely gone away. Now her only focus was to get answers.
"Did you come here to explain what just happened?" Aina asked.
Yuki nodded. "There's no reason to keep it from you… Now that you've seen."
"So none of it was a dream?"
"None of it," Yuki replied, "Though that was what Akito was hoping you'd think... That's why he only knocked you out… Instead of killing you."
"That's what he wants…?" Aina murmured, "So… Are you actually gonna tell me what all that was or not?"
"I am. But you can't tell anyone about it… And you can never let on to Akito that you know."
"Agreed."
Yuki gave a heavy sigh. "This isn't just me… It's pretty much my whole family. Kyo… Shigure… Haru, Momiji, Kagura… And you're not the only one who's discovered it. Tohru… A little while after she moved in…"
"She knows?" Aina asked.
"Yes," Yuki replied. He paused, as though what he was about to say would get him executed. Aina wondered… Was that really the case?
"It's a curse," Yuki finally said.
Aina had seen so many things that day… She was sure she'd be prepared to hear anything…
But a curse?
Aina never expected anything like this… She wasn't even sure she believed it.
"There are twelve of us who have it. Well, thirteen, actually… You're familiar with the Chinese Zodiac?"
"Yeah…" Aina said, "The animals…"
"The dog, the ox, the rabbit, the boar, the snake…"
Suddenly, it all started coming together. Zodiac animals… A curse…
"The rat…" Aina said.
"Yes… The rat."
"I think… I think I have it figured out now… You were a rat. So… That's the curse? You all… You… Turn into the animals?"
Yuki nodded. "That's right."
At least two minutes. That was how long they sat there in dead silence.
"I understand…" said Yuki, "If you're sickened by me… If it scares you…"
"Yuki…" Aina said, barely audible. That was all she could think of to say… Just his name.
After more silence, Yuki got up and started to leave.
"I'm sorry you had to see it," he said, brokenly.
"Yuki, wait," Aina pleaded, "You… Do you really think that I'm afraid of you now?"
Yuki stopped. "You weren't saying anything," he said.
"Well, look at it from my perspective," Aina reassured, "I didn't even believe in curses up until now. It's kind of hard to take it all in."
Yuki almost smiled. "Thank you," he said.
"So… how does it happen? Do you just change at random intervals, or does something set it off? Like fear, or…?"
"One thing that causes it is when we're weak. But usually what sets it off, like with you, is when we're hugged by someone of the opposite sex who isn't cursed."
"So you knew you'd transform when you saved me?" Aina asked.
"That's mostly what made Akito so angry," said Yuki.
Aina smiled. She couldn't believe he thought for a moment that she didn't love him anymore. "Akito…" she repeated, "Where does he fit in? He's the head of the family… Is he cursed, too?"
"Yes," Yuki replied, "But not in the same way we are… Have you ever heard the story? The Zodiac legend?"
Aina paused. "I think so… I'm not sure I remember it very well, though. The one with the cat, right? Is Akito the cat?"
"No," said Yuki, "The cat is Kyo. The cat isn't even considered part of the Zodiac, let alone the head."
"I did say I didn't really remember it," said Aina. Not considered a part of the Zodiac? Poor Kyo… His abrasive personality started to make a little more sense. "Then who's Akito in the story?"
"There was the banquet that all the animals were invited to… And God was the one holding it. That's Akito."
"The head of the family," Aina mused, "Now I get it… So how is he cursed?"
"He has a bond with all of us… A bond that can't be broken unless the curse is broken. That's why we have to do what he says. He's almost always sick, but… I'm not sure if that's because of the curse or not."
"Huh… A bond… What happens if you disobey him?"
"As far as I know, no one's tried… Not without getting what he almost gave you."
"And this bond doesn't go away unless the curse is broken? So it can actually be broken?"
"Yes," said Yuki, "There's one of us… He's the rooster, or he was… His curse broke. But no one knows how it happened. People have tried to figure it out. Outside of the family, who discovered the curse. But Akito doesn't want to lose the bond. He wants to keep control over us. So everyone who finds out gets their memories erased."
"But you said Tohru found out… Did she get her mind wiped?"
"No," said Yuki, "I don't know why…"
"And you don't want Akito to know about this so I can keep my memory?"
"And so doesn't try to kill someone over it," Yuki added.
Aina scratched the back of her head. "This is just… It's a lot. My mind still can't quite process it… So, you transform back, apparently. Does someone have to hug you again?"
Yuki smiled. "No," he said, "That just happens after a minute or so. Thankfully, you were unconscious and didn't have to see… Well…"
"I think I get it," Aina said awkwardly, not wanting to make him explain that part. "On another note, how'd you get my mom to let you in?"
"I actually told her that I was tutoring you," said Yuki.
"Oh," said Aina, "Smart… In that case, we should probably get to that so she doesn't suspect anything. I need help with history."
Yuki laughed. "All right. What don't you understand?"
"Pretty much everything, because Koujin-sensei doesn't really teach."
Both of them laughed this time, and started working. All the while, Yuki couldn't get over how well Aina had taken this. Right now, she was acting as though it had never even happened. She must have known how much more dangerous her life was now… She knew of the Sohma curse. If Akito found out about this… Aina didn't seem worried in the least.
She really was fine with it. All those things that Akito had warned Yuki of were no longer threatening. Aina's sense of security was so calming… Yuki couldn't help but feel the same way.
"So…" Akito said, in the blackness of his room, circling Yuki, "I trust that she's been convinced? She thinks it was a dream?"
"I made sure of it…" Yuki said, trying to sound as sincere as possible. After all, he did, before Aina caught onto what was really going on.
"Good… Now I was passing through yesterday, and I happened to see you. You were standing outside someone's front door… And the woman who let you in… She looked remarkably like Akita-san. Her mother, was she?"
Yuki couldn't say no. Lying to Akito… It was always nearly impossible. Everything one said to him always had to have some truth to it… Otherwise Akito would know it was a lie.
"Yes…" He stumbled.
"Really? …What were you doing there?"
"I'd gone to see Aina… To help her with school."
"Had you? Well, tell me, Yuki… In her room… The window was open. I could hear you talking sometimes… And I caught my name."
He stopped walking, and looked Yuki right in the eyes.
"Can you explain that?"
Uh-oh… They're in trouble now… I've turned Akito into a stalker, haven't I…? Bleeeeehhhh…
For some reason I found it amusing making Aina try and make educated guesses about the curse. "Does someone have to hug you again?" XD that's definitely an assumption I would have made. And some more random useless trivia, the name "Koujin-sensei" was a result of me banging on the keys to try and make up a Japanese-sounding name. Usually I call the history teacher "Mr. Lyndevau," but that didn't sound Japanese at all. I couldn't really make another anagram of my horrible teacher's name that didn't sound American or French. XD
