Epidemic (of Darkness)
Chapter 7
A/n: thank you all so much for reviewing the last chapter, as I remember there was a fight and two new characters entered the story! Two, very annoying characters I might add. I'm terribly sorry if they are ooc, I will try my best but I have a hard time grasping Aya's and Ritsu's personalities. Ah yes, I want to thank the following personally for sticking with this story; squekee, haruilikeyou, 30 Seconds to YOUR MOM. Freederth, Super-Kyo, and 2sidedangel14. And of course my partner Haru'srooster. Thanks again for all your support!
Disclaimer: -deep sigh- I do not own Fruits basket or its characters, but I still love it!! You go Takaya-sensei!
"Ow, that hurt." Tohru rubbed her head that was now throbbing painfully from the impact. Two animals sat in front of her rubbing their heads as well. "I'm sorry!" She bowed quickly, landing on her knees.
"It's not your fault Honda-san. You just wanted to stop our ridiculous quarreling- please do not apologi--" Yuki was suddenly interrupted by the orange cat that sat two feet away from him.
"Who the hell do you think you are? Seriously, who uses the word 'quarreling' anymore?" Kyo snickered. Yuki grew more and more agitated.
"Obviously people who aren't dimwitted cats!" Kyo stopped laughing.
"Who you calling dimwitted, you dumbass pansy!?"
"You! See you're so stupid you can't even tell that I'm making fun of you!" The gray little rat stood up on his two little feet and pointed a small rodent finger at Tohru. "And because of your impudence, Honda-san was injured!" Tohru's eyes went wide.
"Oh no no no!" She wailed her arms in the air. "I don't blame either of you, really it is my fault for jumping in like that." They both sighed in unison as it started to pour down rain. "Oh? It's raining again." Tohru closed her eyes and lifted her face into the wet droplets.
The boys transformed back into their naked human selves and quickly re-dressed. Yuki trudged off angrily but Kyo stood there. Watching Tohru as she smiled into the rain as it hit her face. She seemed relieved. As if the rain was washing away all her worries and mistakes. "Tohru?" Kyo called.
She snapped open her eyes and looked at him. "Y-yes?" 'He's talking to me! And he's not angry!?' He walked over to her and slumped to his knees. Both of his hands grabbed hers and intertwined their fingers together. "Kyo-kun--"
"I'm sorry Tohru." He whispered. She stared at him as his eyelids closed shut. The rain soaking his body and rinsing the blood from his clothes. "I was so mad at you. I don't even know why. It's not like I own you or anything. I guess-- I was just--" Kyo sighed, incredulous to tell her how he felt. "Jealous." The droplets continued to fall around them as the crowd dispersed.
"Kyo-kun. I am your slave, you do kind of own me." Tohru stated. Kyo just shook his head.
"No, you're a wonderful girl. You're not some thing that I can control or abuse. You're a living human. And I don't deserve someone like you if I cant properly take care of you." Kyo gulped hard. The spit jagged and harsh as it ran down his throat.
"Kyo-kun, what are you saying?" Tohru's heart pained. His fingers loosened and dropped from her grasp as he stood up.
"You're free. Take Shia and leave." Kyo's words didn't settle at first. He stood there, unable to look her in the eye. And then it hit her. Kyo was letting her go. or more like, throwing her away. Her chest clenched painfully as he started to walk away.
"Kyo-kun please wait--" He couldn't hear her. Tohru swallowed the lump in her throat and stood up. "WAIT!" Kyo stopped abruptly and glanced back at her. Her eyebrows furrowed, tears streaking her cheeks, but they were concealed by the wet droplets that fell from the sky. Tohru ran to him and grabbed him by the end of his shirt.
Kyo pushed her hand off. "Please, just go." Tohru felt like she couldn't breathe. The air felt thick and unable to take in the oxygen. Her chest was tight, her muscles ached. A few soldiers started to take interest at the scene. Kyo started to walk away again but Tohru fell to the ground and grabbed one of his legs.
"Please Kyo-kun! I don't want to go! I'm sorry…I'm sorry for everything I've done to hurt you, I'm sorry for sleeping with Yuki-kun and not respecting you! I'm sorry for being so selfish. But please! Please don't say you want me to leave!" She begged and begged as she clung to his leg. The soldiers snickered.
Kyo glared at her. "Are you stupid?! Why would you want to stay here? I said you and Shia may leave. You can be free and do as you please now! You don't have to worry about seeing dead people or watching us murder the innocent. Shia wont have to wake up with the horrors of last night. You can fuck anybody you want and not get punished! Because I wont have to care anymore! I wont have to see you with him anymore when you're gone! I'll be able to sleep for once." Suddenly, tears fell from Kyo's garnet eyes.
He fell to his knees beside her. "I hate how you make me feel like this! It makes me sick, I can't stand it!"
"K-Kyo-kun?" She placed her hand on his back but he shrugged it off.
"Why? Why is it when I see you my heart hurts, or when you touch me I get dizzy!?" Kyo's voice suddenly became soft. "And when you smile…when you smile- why do I feel like smiling too?" Kyo grabbed the sides of his head.
Hatori smiled lightly as he watched them. 'Kyo-- is in love with Tohru-kun?' Tohru gently took Kyo by his head and guided it to her chest. Kyo closed his eyes at the rhythm of her heart beat.
Ba-thump- ba-thump- ba-thump
"Kyo-kun. Please, let me stay here--with you. So we can continue being friends and laughing with each other, and eating meals together. I want to stay here because I don't mind not eating for days on end, or bathing with a hundred men. And I don't mind having to face danger--just as long as I'm with you." Tohru bent her head down and placed an almost imperceptible kiss in his now wet, orange tendrils.
Kyo stood and placed his warm, large hand on her chocolate brown hair before walking away with his shoulders slumped and his hands in his pockets.
Hatori sauntered over to the exhausted girl. (whom was still just in a cloak.) "Do you think he'll change his mind?" Tohru smiled but her eyes were filled with sadness.
"Come on, let's get you something decent to wear." Tohru flushed lightly and nodded.
--
"Onee-chan--" Tohru heard a familiar voice. A voice she hadn't heard in a long time. It made the thoughts of that day when the soldiers raided her home to her mind. "Onee-chan--" came the voice again. Tohru's eyes blinked as the sun shone down on her, blinding her sensitive pupils. Her arm instinctively covered her face. "Tohru please wake up!" The voice beseeched. She shot up, her eyes completely awake. In front of her was Shia. She didn't look dirty anymore and she wore a bright blue dress with white ruffles on the cuffs and hem of the gown. The sleeves only went down to the bend of her arm. Her hair looked silky and a small bow rested on the side of her head, pulling back her bangs. Tohru looked down and noticed she was wearing a deep red colored gown with black velvet roses scattered neatly all over the dress. Her sleeves also only went to the bend of her arm. Her hair was pulled into a neat braided bun.
As Tohru tried to stand, her arm stretched painfully and refused to move from where it was. She looked behind her and noticed for the first time, her hand was bound tightly to the wooden pole. She looked around and realized all the tents were gone, the fire pit was just forgotten ashes. The horses, the smell of sweat and men was gone. The sound of booming laughter disappeared. No guns or swords anywhere. All there was, was the open field, the long blades of dry grass dancing in the breeze. The sound of birds in the background. "Shia…"
She looked at her younger sister. Shia's expression was worried. And her arm was also tied to the pole. "They left this morning." Is all she said.
"Wha-what do you mean?" Panic rose inside her.
"I mean they tied us here and left us! They packed up and were gone before you even woke up! They left us here!" Shia screamed up at the sky. Tohru just watched her in horror.
'They left? Kyo-kun…Hatori-san…Yuki-kun…they just left us?' Tears slowly fell from her eyes. Tohru yanked at her arm as she stood up. She pulled and tugged at the rope. It burned and cut into her wrist painfully. Shia slumped to the ground.
"There's no use. I already tried." Tohru paused and glanced at her sister's wrist. Dry blood covered the scratches. Burns and scabs formed. "I kept trying for at least an hour." Shia's emerald eyes poured tears.
"I'm not giving up. We're not going to sit around waiting to die from starvation. Or before something else finds us." Tohru yanked even harder on her wrist. She lifted her bare foot to the pole and pushed into the wood, jerking her hand non stop. As anger and frustration gathered, sadness and pain did too. It all welled up inside of Tohru and she wanted to let it loose. But that wasn't her nature. "Er.." The rope snagged on a piece of the broken skin on her wrist and it ripped it off. Tohru squealed and she fell to her knees. Blood trickled down her arm, collecting at the cuff of her dress.
"Onee-chan…please stop. You're just hurting yourself." Shia begged. Tohru shook her head stubbornly.
"You're not going to die! I didn't give up on you before and I'm not going to start now!" Tohru got to her feet once again and heaved at the bind. Pulling even harder than before.
"You didn't do anything for me!" Shia spoke loudly and forcefully. Tohru stopped and stared at her sibling. "While you were off being pampered did you even stop to think where I was or what I was going through?!"
"Shia--" Tohru was speechless as Shia ranted on.
"Kyo-kun took care of you and made sure you had food and clothes and that you weren't touched by anyone else! I was tied down and raped. More than once by more than one man! I didn't get food or water. I didn't have clothes or baths. I laid there and was beaten and RAPED!" Shia's body shook with fatigue. It had been a long time that she had been holding it all in.
"You don't think I knew?! They made me watch! How was I supposed to do anything? I tried! So many times to help you! I even got Yuki-kun to get you some help." Shia gasped.
"Don't take credit for Sohma-sama's good deeds!" Shia stood up, her face in Tohru's. "You just want to think you tried, so that you don't feel guilty for not really doing anything. You didn't help and you definitely didn't give a shit that I was hurting! Because you're a cold hearted sister and a bitc--" Tohru's hand struck Shia's pale cheek. Turning it a bright red.
Tears began to fall from her brown eyes. "How could you even think that I'd do that to you? How could you say that to me? Shia you know me. I would never not care about you. You're the only thing in this world that I have!" Grief sank into Shia. She felt terrible for saying those things to Tohru. She wanted to take them back. "I was hurting too! You wouldn't talk or even look at me for the longest time and that hurt! I cried for you and did all I could."
"I'm sorry! Onee-chan I'm so sorry!" Tohru finally wrenched her wrist free and her arms embraced Shia's small frame. She was so thin and emaciated. Tohru saw the bruises covering Shia's skin. "I didn't mean it, really I didn't!"
"I know. It's okay." Tohru kissed the cheek she had slapped. "Sorry about that." Tohru quickly untied Shia's wrist and they were both free. But it was getting dark and at night was the time when creatures of all sorts hunted. They stood up and intertwined their fingers. "They can't be too far ahead. Kyo-kun would stop now since it's getting dark."
Tohru started down the prairie but Shia didn't move. Tohru looked at the younger Honda dumbfounded. "Onee-chan…it's not safe to travel at night. You know that. Besides we have to wrap up your hand." Blood stained her skin. Tohru smiled and ripped off an end to her dress. "Here, I'll do it for you."
"Thank you." They sat down on the grass. Tohru watched the sunset in silence as Shia wrapped the bandage around her sister's wrist.
"All done." Shia hugged Tohru and they both watched the pink, orange, and purple colors of the sky as the sun faded below the horizon. Tohru pet Shia's soft, now clean tendrils and soon she had fallen asleep in her big sister's lap. The sun had completely disappeared and it was pitch black. The only light was the beams of the moon trying to peek through the clouds. Tohru was starting to get tired and that wasn't good.
She looked down at Shia's slumbering body. She shook her lightly. "Shia," Tohru whispered. "Shia, wake up." She shook her again but she dared not stir. "Um Shia please wake up!" Tohru whispered forcefully. The sound of rustling grass and horses' snorts rang in Tohru's ears. Fear glided through her in a flash. Her stomach knotted painfully as she remembered the last time she heard the horses coming. "SHIA!" Tohru yelled as he final attempt and it worked. Shia sprang up in a frenzy as her emerald eyes stared at her in shock.
"Wha-what is it?!" Tohru pointed into the darkness where the noises came from. Shia's gaze followed the finger and soon heard the horses and what sounded like wheels of a wagon maybe? "Refugees?" Shia asked with hope.
"I don't want to wait and find out. Come on, let's get to the forest." They stood and immediately darted towards the woods that encroached the field. They ran faster and faster. Even though their chests clenched painfully, their lungs constricted tight, and flames of pain swam through their bodies, neither of them stopped or looked back. The forest didn't seem like it was getting any closer, but farther and farther away. Tohru's foot caught on a root and she tumbled to the ground with a loud thud. Her head slammed as she fell and the impact made her dizzy.
"Onee-chan, get up!" Shia was on her way back to her sister when Tohru got on her knees. Her vision was blurry and everything around her spun, nausea settled in the pit of her stomach.
"No! keep going!" Tohru screamed as she waved her hand and pointed to the woods. Shia shook her head. "Go! Please Shia just go! I'll be right behind you." Tohru lied. She could hear the hooves trotting towards them now, every stomp sent shivers through her. Afraid to find what was going to eat her for breakfast. "Dammit Shia go!" With that, Tohru watched as Shia spun back around and scurried to the forest. 'Kyo-kun…I'm so glad I got to meet you. And Shia, I love you so much. I love you all, mom, Hatori-san, Yuki-kun…Rin, Haru…all of you.'
Her thoughts were interrupted as two men in camouflage grabbed her arms and pulled her into a back of a wagon/jeep looking thing and slammed the metal doors. Tohru was tossed from side to side as the vehicle carried on. Her sad eyes looked around her dim lighted surrounding. There was at least 10 people in here with her. They all looked dejected and torn. Women, men, and children all sat with her, sharing her same feelings. They all were dirt covered and looked worn out. She nervously cleared her throat.
"Um- excuse me, but I was wondering. Where are we being taken?" The people looked at her, eyes wide…they all refused to answer her question, the silence making Tohru very uncomfortable.
--
Shia watched in horror as two strange men hauled Tohru off into some strange type of vehicle and disappear from her sight. Panic screamed inside Shia as she frantically looked around. The darkness swallowing her whole, she was completely alone and scared. She had to fine someone…anyone.
Phew! How was that for you guys? Huh huh? You like?! Please r&r thanks yous
